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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27319291">The Trickster in the Red Hood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/gamer_garbage/pseuds/gamer_garbage'>gamer_garbage</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Byleth is the lumberjack, Little Red Riding Hood AU, M/M, he literally gives 0 shits about what happens between these kids, let this man chop wood in peace damn it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:35:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,912</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27319291</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/gamer_garbage/pseuds/gamer_garbage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hilda sends Claude out on a mission to deliver a letter to Edelgard, the isolated teenage girl living on the hill in the woods. However, while making his way over there, Claude stumbles upon a...wolf? Person? Well, whatever this guy was, he found his name to be Dimitri, and this guy means business!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Boy in the Hood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hufflehobbit_writes/gifts">Hufflehobbit_writes</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I want to give a big and loud thanks to Hufflehobbit_writes for commissioning this piece! It's a bit of a shorter fic than what I normally would do but I hope you all enjoy it anyway!</p>
<p>If you want to commission me as well we can always talk on my <a href="https://instagram.com/help_this_trashcan_plz?igshid=1luv6rgl5laq">instagram</a> to go over the request and other details! Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The day had begun much like any other: the sun was shining, the weather was warm, and it was a perfect day to just lounge about in the cottage Claude shared with his roommate and best friend, Hilda. However, it seemed his so-called “best friend” had something entirely different in mind...</p><p>“You want me to do...what?”</p><p>Hilda groaned as she rolled her eyes at the boy. “I’m only gonna explain this <em>one</em> more time, Riegan. I want <em>you</em> to deliver <em>this</em> <em>letter</em> to <em>Edelgard</em>.”</p><p>“You mean the girl living on top of the hill way, way deep in the forest?” Claude scoffed. “You’re crazy if you think I’m risking life and limb through those woods to deliver some fancy letter for you.”</p><p>The other frowned at him as she shoved the envelope resting on her palm in the boy’s face. “If you don’t,” she warned, “I’ll tell everyone all about the incident with you and Lorenz last week.”</p><p>Claude’s face flushed crimson as he sputtered, “Hey, he was comin’ on to me, okay? Do ya really think I’d stoop that low to willingly makeout with <em> Lorenz </em> of all people?”</p><p>Hilda’s face was unwavering, the smirk gracing her lips as the threat loomed over Claude’s head showing she meant every word of it. After a brief moment of silent rebellion, he sighed as he felt his will slowly crumble.</p><p>“Fine. I’ll do it. You’re lucky my reputation is on the line.”</p><p>“And that’s <em> exactly </em> why I brought it up. Now get goin’! You wouldn’t want to be caught in those woods when the sun goes down!” she said, her voice in a sickeningly cheerful sing-song tone as she waved the envelope in Claude’s face.</p><p>The boy snatched it from her grasp before placing it in his pocket and turning on his heel to prepare for the journey. It wasn’t a long walk, but it was one almost no one in the area wanted to go through. The particular set of woods the young woman named Edelgard found her home in were dangerous with beasts of all varieties lurking in the shadows. The only person who is known to have gone in and survived besides the girl herself was the infamous Lumberjack Eisner, who resided not too far from the young woman’s home in a much denser part of the forest.</p><p>Claude only hoped he would be around to save his ass if a bear or something came along in an attempt to make him their dinner.</p><p>Once the boy gathered his things—a flashlight, a basket of food, and a red cloak Hilda had gifted him a few winters ago upon the claim he “looked good in red”—Claude was off on his journey! The sun was already at its highest point in the sky, making it noon, so he would have to move quickly if he wanted to get in and out before sundown. And so, Claude made his way into the forest following the yellow, dirt path towards Edelgard’s place.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Claude had walked for hours, and yet he still had not made it to the Hresvelg residence deep in these woods. He knew he was getting close, however. Where he and Hilda lived, the forest floor was bright and open to the wonderfully small and cute creatures residing there among the trees and bushes and grass. Squirrels, deer, rabbits, and many more often greeted them as they cared for their garden on their front lawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, as he walked further and further along the path, Claude noticed how the treetops slowly began to cover the forest floor, making it dark and eerie. There was almost no sun reaching him through the dense and thick leaves covering him from above, and were it not for his flashlight he would surely be too blind to know where he was going. This sent him into a small sense of panic. He had to stay on his guard now, or else a beastly creature could sneak up on him at any moment and </span>
  <em>
    <span>BAM!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He was monster chow! And everyone would be none the wiser to his ultimate demise.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And for what?</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought bitterly to himself, jumping slightly as the leaves above began to rustle with the wind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Helping Hilda send this stupid letter? This was the last time I’m doing her any sort of favor like this. I’m never stepping in these woods again!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As Claude continued to make his way, turning the flashlight over to his right and left in case something was watching him from the shadows, he could not help but think of what waited for him here in the darkness. It did not help that, suddenly, the sound of a twig snapping echoed like bells in his ears. Claude froze in the moment, his body going stiff as his eyes frantically tried to find the culprit in the dark woods. However, he came up empty handed. Slowly, he marched forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was another twig. Claude froze again, this time turning around as he noticed the sound was coming from </span>
  <em>
    <span>behind</span>
  </em>
  <span> him rather than in front. He twisted his flashlight as well, hoping the sudden luminosity would frighten whatever was following him. Still, there was nothing there anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude waited longer this time before turning back and moving forward. Shortly after, something else was snapped in two. This time, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> coming from behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy twisted around with his flashlight, now furious as he yelled, “Alright... Who’s there? Show yourself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No response came, but that would not discourage him. He knew something was following him. Instinctively, Claude took his right hand and carefully dug through his pockets in search of the dagger he always kept on his person. Whatever was out there would no doubt try to eat him, and if it was a person then they likely just meant to kill or rob him. Maybe even both. Either way, he wasn’t taking any chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once more, he shouted into the woods, “I know you’re there. You might as well come out now! Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, unbeknownst to Claude, there was a figure standing directly behind him in the shadows. Icy blue eyes stared down at the boy with a cold and furious look. Their fangs were bared as a low growl erupted from their throat, immediately catching the frightened boy’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude, hesitantly, looked up, and shined his flashlight on the figure to find a blue-eyed person—wolf? Boy? Whatever the hell they were—staring back. He let out a terrified shriek as he quickly stepped back to put some distance between himself and whatever messed up hybrid this person was. Remembering the dagger, he clutched it tightly in his grasp and held it higher, making it glint in the darkness. At least the other would know he was armed. Maybe then he wouldn’t try to attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who... Who are you?” Claude asked, his voice trembling. “Better yet... What the fuck are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re in my woods... If you have no business here, I suggest you leave,” the other growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, for your information, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> have business here. I’m just trying to make sure I don’t get mauled by the likes of you before I even manage to finish said business. Now are you gonna answer my question or what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why should I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe so then we can both walk away from this calmly? I don’t freakin’ know! I just wanna get home, dude.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature eyed Claude suspiciously. “Why are you here?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude replied, “Delivering a letter. Now you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are my woods. I have every right to be here. But </span>
  <em>
    <span>a human</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” The creature scoffed, the faintest hint of an amused smirk gracing his features. “How ridiculous. If that is truly your intention, to simply deliver a letter, then be on your way and get out. Or else I’ll happily dig my claws into you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, just what is this guy’s damage? First he scares the ever living shit out of me, and now he’s making threats? Talk about a bad host... </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, uh, see... About that...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? What is the issue here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I uh...” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Play dumb, play dumb, play dumb, play dumb- </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I...don’t know my way around these parts. Ha...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature narrowed his eyes. “And how is that my issue?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want me out these woods, right? Well, can’t do that until I deliver this letter,” he said, digging through his pockets and holding the envelope to the wolf-person-creature-thing, “and I can’t deliver this letter unless I know where I’m going. So... How about you help me find where I need to go, and I’ll leave your woods and never come back again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...And where exactly are you going?” the creature asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To the house on the hill just another mile or two from here,” Claude replied. “Don’t suppose you know how to get there, do ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude noticed the creature’s eyes grow wide, then quickly shut again into narrowed slits as he bared his fangs with a deep growl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know that woman on the hill?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh... Sort of? Look, see, my friend is the one who wants me to deliver this stupid thing. I don’t even talk to the girl-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude let out another shriek as he found himself suddenly being tackled to the ground, the flashlight knocked out of his hand as well as his dagger and basket of food. He looked up in horror and fear as the creature was now on top of him, pinning him to the floor by his wrists and legs—the guy had good technique, he had to admit—with those icy blues expanding as the other’s pupils contracted into thin, black slits and his sharp, canine teeth were bared while a growl emerged from his throat. Shit, he was definitely going to die now...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Claude pleaded. “Ju-Just let me explain-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why should I allow you to live knowing you’re working with her? Answer me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not! Look, I’m just the delivery boy, dude! I don’t have anything to do with whatever kind of fucked up shit is going on between the two of you, I swear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prove it, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? What do you mean ‘prove it’?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature repeated, “Prove. It. Help me kick her out these woods and I’ll help you deliver your letter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...And if I refuse?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature’s displeasure with Claude’s threat was immediately noted the moment Claude felt the sharp edges of his fangs graze over his carotid artery, sending him into a panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay! Okay! I’ll help! Just, please, don’t eat me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you will help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Claude said, “I’ll help just...get away from there, yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hummed, after a few beats the creature pulled away from Claude and crawled away. Getting onto his feet he extended a hand to the human, who took it cautiously but gratefully. As Claude dusted the dirt off his clothes, the wolf-human searched around for his belongings. Once found, they were returned to their owner who provided a small “thanks” in exchange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gah, now these apples are just dusty... Oh, well. Guess we can always find a river or lake or something to clean them in, or whatever the hell is around here that can wash it off.” Claude placed the food away back into the basket before turning back to the creature. “Anyway, I think introductions are </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> overdue. The name’s Claude. And you are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dimitri,” the other answered shortly. “And to answer your question from before... I am, in fact, a wolf.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. ‘Cause for a second I was just really confused. But nice to meet you, Dimitri!” Claude chirped. While the boy was friendly, for now, he couldn’t help but wonder just how he was going to get out of this situation. He didn’t want to pick a fight with Edelgard—he had no reason to—but he also didn’t want to get eaten by Dimitri. Still, he had to figure out some kind of alternative that would ensure he made it through today alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For now, he just had to place nice.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Wolf and the Boy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Claude and Dimitri get into a bit of a squabble when the plan doesn't go as...well, planned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The walk through the dark forest was a long one, and Claude was wondering as he followed Dimitri just how Hilda expected him to find his way through it. As it turns out, he was going in the complete opposite direction! He was initially kidding when he told the wolf he was lost, a simple lie to save his sorry ass from getting eaten, but to figure out he actually was made his head flood with embarrassment.</p><p>Apparently he was edging towards the darker, more dense parts of the forest where the infamous lumberjack Sir Eisner resided. Though it wasn’t too far off from Edelgard’s residence it still would have cost Claude a few hours of daylight, and by the time he actually got there it would have been well past sundown. Going back would have made him dog chow for sure. He was lucky to have bumped into a gullible wolf like Dimitri. Speaking of which...</p><p>“So,” the boy said, “what’s the deal with you and the princess, eh?”</p><p>“Pardon?” the wolf growled.</p><p>“I mean... Why do you seem so pissed about her? Like just now! You growled when I just brought her up.” A smirk inched its way onto Claude’s face as he felt his curiosity grow. “Any particular reason why?”</p><p>Dimitri scoffed. “Not one I wish to share with a human.”</p><p>“Fair... Still, I would like to know what I’m getting myself into. Can’t just help you get back at her without knowing why we’re doing this in the first place.”</p><p>“You need not know anything except it’s perfectly justified.”</p><p>
  <em> Damn. That’s not very reassuring... </em>
</p><p>Claude wasn’t being serious about kicking Edelgard out of the woods. This wasn’t any of his business, really. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder just what beef the two had.</p><p>The boy had always been too nosy for his own good sometimes. At times it <em> did </em> help, especially when he was younger and still living with his parents and brothers, and he managed to save his skin more times than he could count on both hands thanks to his bad habits. But in moments like this, Claude couldn’t help but feel he was slowly inching towards his doom if he kept asking this wolf any more questions about his relationship to the Hresvelg girl.</p><p>So he allowed Dimitri to take the lead, and soon they found themselves at a clearing just as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. The golden hue of the sky above mixed with bright reds and oranges made for a beautiful sight. However, there was a deep pit in Claude’s stomach that didn’t sit right with him. He had to make his next move carefully once the two actually confronted each other. Maybe if he could find an opening to escape, he could throw the letter at Edelgard and book it in the other direction. A cowardly move, but one that would at least let him live to see another day, and hopefully he’d never have to walk through that forest again if things went south for the wolf holding him hostage at the moment.</p><p>The two of them made their way up the path and towards the yard of the house, though Claude noticed Dimitri lingering behind him. His eyes seemed to harden as his gaze fell upon the small cottage that was Edelgard’s home, and as they moved closer and closer he noticed the tension in his muscles grow.</p><p>Looking over his shoulder at the wolf he asked, “Uh... Are you sure you don’t just wanna hang back? I could possibly make a distraction.” Or tell her what was going on, creating a momentary alliance that would allow him to seek shelter from the deranged wolf.</p><p>“...That could work,” Dimitri muttered. “But I would much rather dig my claws into her myself-”</p><p>“Wait, what?”</p><p>“-while you face her lapdog, Hubert.”</p><p>“Wait, <em> what!? </em>”</p><p>Okay. This was totally unexpected. But it was fine! Totally, one hundred percent fine! Claude could still work with this. Maybe if he just ran up ahead and-</p><p>“Edelgard!” Dimitri yelled just as they made it to the girl’s front porch. “Come out and face me, coward!</p><p>“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Big guy, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it’s such a good idea to just run up here and start picking a fight. I’m not even armed!”</p><p>“What else were you expecting when you agreed to this?”</p><p>“Uh... About that...”</p><p>“Ugh. This again?”</p><p>Dimitri and Claude’s heads were whipped to the front porch where, with her arms crossed over her chest, Edelgard stood glaring at the blond wolf. Standing behind was who Claude could only assume was the Hubert character Dimitri had talked about earlier. He was tall and reminded the human vaguely of a cryptid. He couldn’t even be sure if the dude was real or just some kind of freaky demon that manifested through his imagination…</p><p>Either way, the situation wasn’t looking so good anymore once that set of purple eyes stared down the duo, and it seemed Dimitri was as pleased to see her as she was to see him.</p><p>“There you are,” the wolf growled. “I hope you’re ready to meet your end, witch! Because now, I’ll finally get my chance to-”</p><p>“Hubert.”</p><p>“Yes, Miss Edelgard.”</p><p>The man behind the young girl, Hubert, stepped from out of the shadows with a wicked grin spread across his face, and it was only once he was now in full view that Claude noticed the axe in his grip. The human’s eyes went wide as the glint of the steel sent a panic through his mind.</p><p>Claude wasn’t sure what he was thinking, or if he was thinking at all. For all he knew, he had gone mad. But he knew it felt right when he suddenly grabbed Dimitri’s hand and immediately booked it right back into the forest. Caring little for direction or the wolf’s pleas, Claude continued to run through the woods until the darkness of the treetops covered their tracks and far, far away from Edelgard and Hubert’s sight.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Claude hadn’t actually stopped running until, after they were well into the darkness of the forest, he felt himself forcefully pulled back and thrown to the ground. His mind was still in a daze when he found himself face-to-face with the hardened, cold, blue eyes of the wolf he had been dragging around like a ragdoll.</p><p>It was then that everything flooded back to him, and he immediately held his hands up in surrender.</p><p>“Dimitri, look, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know what was goin’ on in my head!” Claude stammered. “I just saw the axe and-”</p><p>“Quiet. I could care less about that. What I <em> didn’t </em> appreciate was running into the middle of the forest and getting us <em> lost </em>.”</p><p>“I... Huh?”</p><p>Claude pulled his gaze away from the wolf to look around, and—kind of—to his surprise he found he was with Dimitri in what appeared to be an even denser part of the woods than where they met. Noticing this, he let out an exasperated sigh.</p><p>“Fuck me...”</p><p>Dimitri scoffed at him. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted a human... You may as well leave. I have no use for you anymore.”</p><p>“Wait! Just hold on a minute. I don’t exactly know how to get out of here myself!”</p><p>“And how is that any of my concern?” the wolf hissed.</p><p>Claude scowled, his eyes narrowing. First he found this guy gullible. Now? He was just a pain in the ass. And he was <em> fully </em> prepared to use that to his advantage.</p><p>“Well,” Claude replied, “if I can’t find my way back home... I’ll have no other choice but to follow you around.”</p><p>Dimitri’s body immediately went stiff, his pupils contracting into thin slits and his fangs exposing themselves as he let out a low growl. Good. He was starting to get underneath his skin. Sure, this could get him killed, but there was also the alternative: he got to go home and never see this place ever again. And from the look in the wolf’s eyes, the latter was the greatest possibility.</p><p>“So what do ya say? If you help me get home, I won’t ever bother you again. In fact, I don’t really feel like coming back here any time soon. We got a deal?”</p><p>“Gah... Fine. Have it your way, human.”</p><p>“Great! But, uh, the name’s ‘Claude’. Not ‘human’. Say it with me now: C-l-a-u-”</p><p>“I <em> will </em> devour you,” Dimitri hissed, the wolf turning away from Claude as he began to make his way through the dark woods.</p><p>Claude, meanwhile, let out a nervous laugh as he trailed behind. “Ha ha, right. Uh... Right. This is going to be fun.”</p><p>“If by ‘fun’ you mean: I have to keep you from being eaten by the other creatures in this forest, then yes. It is going to be ‘fun’.”</p><p>“Aw, it can't be that bad...right?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. First Night in the Woods</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Night reaches them quickly, and Dimitri and Claude are forced to wait until morning in a small cavern.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys, I'm so sorry this took a long time to come. The semester is ending and my professors are giving me a buttload of work to finish up (not to mention I still have like two final exams coming up) and I'm getting ready for my 18th birthday was well. Plus with the cold weather I've already been getting sick more often (I'm still in recovery from a small cold I had as I type this note) which lowers productivity.</p><p>BUT here I am and here is the update! Thanks for your patience guys!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Okay, it had gotten pretty bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing really happened, and Claude was more than grateful for that, but his nerves would probably never calm down if those damn branches wouldn’t stop snapping, or if the leaves on the trees above and bushes nearby wouldn’t stop rustling every. single. second. So the teen did what he knew best: he started talking to his wolf guide, but once he got going he couldn’t stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then Hilda walked into the room, slipped on the peel, and fell flat on her ass! And everyone found it hilarious!” he laughed. “Oh, you should’ve seen the look on her face. It was priceless! Best birthday prank ever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While that is all well and good, Claude,” the wolf growled, “I would appreciate it if you would keep your mouth shut so I could hear out for this danger you’re so afraid of.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude scoffed, beginning to nervously sweat. “Danger? Afraid? Me? Yeah, right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just then, another branch snapped, and Claude let out the biggest shriek as he suddenly jumped onto Dimitri, clinging to the wolf for dear life. But once the innate fear died down, he looked up embarrassingly at his glaring partner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chuckling, he said, “Oh. Right. That. Uh...” Claude cleared his throat, slowly climbing off Dimitri. “My bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri, despite his clear irritation with Claude, let out a sigh. “Let’s keep going before something actually does happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agreed. Let’s go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude sprinted up ahead, an eager look on his face as he passed by the fast-paced wolf. Dimitri rolled his eyes as he jumped into a light jog to catch up with the human. As they continued to walk, the shorter of the duo felt his eyes slowly glance up towards the sky. A frown slowly etched its way onto his face as he noticed the red and orange hues decorating the sky began to give way to the dark blues and blacks of the night. He turned his head over to Dimitri, who didn’t seem to notice nor care that darkness was slowly enveloping the world around them. Damn wolves and their night vision. The forest likely looked all the same to him, regardless of the time of day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, um, Dimitri?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s uh... Startin’ to get dark,” he said. “Shouldn’t we stop to find some shelter? Maybe eat dinner? I haven’t had food all day except for before I left the house...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri stopped in his tracks, his eyes looking up at the stars showing up one-by-one, and let out a soft hum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right. It’s much more dangerous at night. More predators will be prowling about trying to find their next meal...” The wolf then suddenly changed direction, facing his left as he motioned for Claude to follow. “Come this way. I know a small cavern that should keep us hidden until morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s perfect! Lead the way!” the human chirped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude followed Dimitri, relieved, into the treeline and away from the dirt path that led back towards his house. The two pushed past vines, moss, spiderwebs, branches, and a bunch of other junk that made it difficult for Claude to catch up to the wolf, who seemed to know his way around these woods more than the human initially thought. All the way, they also collected whatever pieces of wood they could find and use for the fire to cook dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they finally made it to the cavern, Claude saw it was a small opening on the side of what appeared to be a large hill, if not a mountain. He followed Dimitri inside, and immediately got to work to set up the flames. Meanwhile, Dimitri promised to come back quickly to find some meat. Claude was, of course, nervous being left alone in such a cramped space. Experience had taught him to never leave one’s self where escape wasn’t easy, and if a monster or wild animal came by and caught his scent it would no doubt chase him down until he was caught in its jaws. And being trapped in such a small cavern would only seal his fate were the possibility to become reality.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy watched as Dimitri left him alone in the cavern to hunt, the fire crackling quietly beside him. His eyes were glued to the small flames, watching silently as it ate away at the wood of the branches and sticks the two of them gathered. Occasionally those orbs of forest green would snap over to the entrance of the cavern, scanning to see just what was rustling about in the wilderness before him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Dimitri returned with a dead animal tucked beneath his arm, Claude felt slight relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatcha catch?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not saying a word, Dimitri grabbed the animal and tossed over to Claude by the fire. The human let out a yelp, noticing the creature was much bigger than he expected, before taking a good look at the wolf’s catch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curiously, he looked up at him. “Wolverine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bigger than a rabbit, and tastes no different than pork,” the wolf replied. “It’s mostly red meat, so it cooks faster too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude wasn’t too sure about that last part, but he’ll take whatever he could get at this point. He was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>starving</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Grabbing the leg of the dead wolverine, Claude carries it over to the fire and picks up one of the sturdier pieces of wood they managed to find. Skewing the wolverine’s corpse with the wood, and taking some string he had handy in his pocket, Claude successfully created a makeshift spit to cook the wolverine with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long do you suggest?” Dimitri suddenly asked, taking a seat next to Claude right by the fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude turned to him. “What? To cook this thing?” The boy earned a nod from the wolf, to which he shrugged. “Much longer than a few minutes, that’s for sure. If you want you can just rip off an arm or something and get a bite or two before the full course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri shook his head. “I’d rather you not see me as a feral beast by watching me eat raw food,” he replied. “You’re already scared to your wits just walking along the road next to me. My meals are anything but pretty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t really argue with you on that... Which makes me wonder, you’re a wolf right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. That should be fairly obvious... What of it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well...” A glint of curiosity was caught in the reflection of Claude’s eyes. “Don’t wolves typically live in packs? And do they all look like you or is that just...you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri rolled his eyes. “I’m not sure if I truly want to answer that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean no disrespect! I just, well, got curious and I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps it’s better if you slept first. This might take awhile to cook, and you seem tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude blinked. He wasn’t serious, was he? It wasn’t like he minded such a suggestion, but now he was just making it obvious that he wanted to avoid the subject. From Claude’s professional perspective, he should’ve done a lot better to redirect the topic if he really didn’t want to have this discussion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But considering the other’s sharp claws and fangs poking out from the edges of Claude’s vision, the boy wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to tease him and point such a thing out. With a sly smile, Claude let out a yawn as he said, “Fair enough. Wake me up when it’s done, yeah? Then once we chow down we can head on right back to sleep! Or, well, I’ll head back to sleep. You’ll be able to finally catch a wink.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude let out a laugh at that, but—and Claude found this </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> interesting—Dimitri only stared with a blank expression at the fire. When the boy’s laughter died down he couldn’t help but glance over at the wolf, who was eerily silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh... That was uh, supposed to be a joke. Ya know... ‘ha ha’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what a joke is. I’m a wolf, not a fool.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go to sleep, human.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this, Claude frowned. “First, again, my name is Claude. Second, did I say something that upset ya? Come on, you can be honest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” the wolf replied. “I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ain’t gotta lie to protect your ego you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you just-!” Dimitri stops himself, just short of turning around to bare his fangs at his companion, and takes a deep breath before exhaling as calmly as he could through his nose. “I can’t sleep. Never had the ability to. There. Are you satisfied?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude, instantly becoming interested in this revelation, asked, “What do you mean? Like, you’ve never been able to sleep? Like, ever?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Once, a long time ago, I was. When I was a pup. But...things change, and so do people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...But you’re a wolf-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what I mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still, there’s no harm in at least trying. I mean, at least letting your eyes relax and stay shut for awhile does more good than you think, even if you can’t knock out like most people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri shook his head. “It’s all pointless. I’ll simply stay up and watch the meal, and once we’ve had our fill I’ll keep guard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna keel over doin’ that,” Claude told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve managed this far in my life. Another night will be nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope! I’ve decided: I’m gonna stay up with you!” the human chirped. “Even if you can’t sleep, you’ll still drive yourself mad by guarding our food all night by yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this, Dimitri could only sigh. “Fine. Do what you will. I doubt I could convince you it isn’t as worth it as you believe it to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude laughed. “Definitely not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Knowing his company was now welcomed—well, not really, the irritation in the wolf’s tone made that </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> clear—Claude pulled himself closer to the wolf so they were sitting side-by-side by the fire. The flames flickered in the cavern, giving a soft glow to their features. Silence quickly fell as the night consumed the forest around them. Beyond the pair’s calmed breaths and the sound of the flames eating away at fur, flesh, and wood, the chirping of crickets and other creatures of the woods echoed like a wave. Owls sang their songs and critters scurried in the tall grass to find food or flea to the safety of their homes. It was a peaceful night, and Claude found himself appreciating the forest more and more by the seconds. Sure, it was still mildly terrifying, but the scenery and the air around him made Claude feel that maybe the woods weren’t all that bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, the curiosity he felt towards his companion would not cease, and it made the quiet that surrounded them feel suffocating. What was this guy’s deal? He was supposedly a wolf, but wolves lived in packs, and yet it was clear the subject was still too sore for him to talk about so casually with a stranger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was something Claude would not stand for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clearing his throat, the boy looked off casually to the side, hoping Dimitri wouldn’t be able to see right through him as he said, “So... You still haven’t answered my questions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What of them?” the other retorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I still do wonder how come you—a wolf—are all by yourself when wolves are supposed to live in packs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Key word: supposed to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So... Why aren’t you in one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri let out a huff. “I was separated from my pack while I was tracking down Edelgard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. I... I’m sorry-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be,” he replied. “I chose to leave them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude, baffled by the wolf’s sudden bearing of the truth, stared wide-eyed at Dimitri. “Huh? But why? It’s much harder for you guys to take care of yourselves when you’re alone. I mean... You’re much bigger than the average wolf but I still don’t think you’ll be able to take on an elk all by yourself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Firstly, I’m much closer to what you humans call a ‘werewolf’ than an actual wolf,” he explained. “Second, I chose to leave them because they refused to help me seek out my revenge against that witch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it all ties back to her...” This time, it was Claude who let out a sigh. “What’s your deal with her anyway? Like... How bad does the beef have to be for you to go to this kind of length? Leaving your pack? Seriously?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re traitors,” Dimitri growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re your friends. A pack is supposed to be like a family.” Claude narrowed his eyes at the wolf. “I may not exactly be an expert in that field, but I don’t think family is supposed to ditch each other just because the others refuse to help with personal goals. Whatever’s going on between you and Edelgard probably had nothing to do with them, so of course they wouldn’t want to go pick a fight with her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...I believe the meat is done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not getting away with that. We’re not done talking about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glaring at Claude, his pupils dilating to reveal pools of blue, Dimitri hissed with bared teeth as he said, “I believe we are. You’ll eat this, go to sleep, and wake up so I can toss you back to the humans so we may never see each other again. That was the deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude, wanting to retort but for once failed to find the words, sat quietly. His emerald eyes met the sapphire blue of Dimitri’s, and it was clear that if he pushed any further the wolf </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> eat him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy turned away, his eyes moving their gaze to the smoked wolverine skewed over the fire before them. Without a word, he worked to untie the creature and handed the spit over to Dimitri. Just as wordless as Claude had taken the meat off the fire pit, Dimitri said nothing as he grabbed the end of the stick Claude had in his grasp and grabbed the head of the creature with his teeth. Using sheer force, he tore it in half before releasing his grip on the spit, and immediately dug into the meal. Meanwhile, Claude used his pocket knife to get to the meat underneath the singed fur of the wolverine so he, too, could enjoy his meal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two ate in continued silence until every bit of the creature was devoured. When dinner was finished, Claude laid on his side to snuggle up by the fire as he went to bed, struggling to keep his eyes closed with the tension that hung in the air around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew he shouldn’t have tried to bring Edelgard up, but he was still pissed that the wolf hadn’t disclosed to him just what exactly she had done to wrong him </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> asking him to take his side. If he was going to be in the middle of all of it, he should’ve at least known what he was fighting for. Still, Dimitri was right. In the morning, the two would go their separate ways, and he’d never have to hear from the delusional wolf again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe, in the end, that was what was best for everyone here.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fun fact: you can eat a wolverine because it's mostly red meat like pork, but only if you manage to catch one (please don't try this at home, they're dangerous and persistent little bastards who fight bears and mountain lions for fun and carry some pretty dangerous diseases).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Back Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Upon the rising of the sun, Dimitri and Claude continued their journey through the woods. Claude woke up in a rather grumpy mood, not used to the idea of waking up at dawn, but trailed behind the wolf as they made their way down the forest path nonetheless. The walk was silent. Or, at least, as silent as it could be with Claude around. The boy knew better than to bring up the events of last night, or anything they had discussed then, but continued to chatter away. Besides, it wasn’t as if Dimitri seemed to mind. From the boy’s guess, he was either listening surprisingly intently or just blocking out his voice as they moved forward. Either way, Claude felt much more secure as they began to reach the sparser part of the woods. That meant the clearing to his and Hilda’s house was just up ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time the sun reached its highest peak in the sky, Claude and Dimitri had finally made it. Standing before them was the small cottage Claude and Hilda shared, sitting behind dark oak fencing with a small garden placed in the front yard of the home. Seeing it made Claude’s eyes sparkle with delight, and before Dimitri could shove him away did the wolf find himself being embraced by the human.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks a ton for helpin’ me out!” Claude shouted. “Well then. I guess this is goodbye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri nodded in agreement as the other released his hold. “Indeed,” he said. “Try not to get lost in these woods again. Better yet, don’t even step foot in them if you can’t learn how to fight. And if you do decide to go anyway, as I believe you very much will, then at least bring something better than that tiny pocket knife of yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wolf pointed to Claude’s left pocket, where the knife sat peacefully, which earned him a nervous chuckle from the human boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I think that’s some solid advice. Thanks for the heads up,” Claude replied. “And good luck with the whole revenge thing. Catch ya never!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude gave one last wave to the wolf as he sprinted for the cottage, a bright grin on his face as he dashed away from the horrid woods. When he managed to make it to the front door, he turned back around to see if Dimitri was still there. To his short surprise, the wolf seemed to have long disappeared back into the forest. He could vaguely see his shadow merging with the darkness of the dense forest just a ways beyond the field between his home and the woods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, he simply shrugged it off as he twisted the doorknob and shoved his way inside, sighing in relief at the warmth and familiarity of it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And standing right in front of the doorway was none other than his beloved roommate, Hilda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude!” the girl shouted. “Oh my fucking god, where the hell have you been? I thought you fucking died!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could explain a thing, Claude found himself being shaken rather roughly by the strong-armed girl before him. He let out a yelp of surprise as she grabbed at his shirt, yanking him back and forth as she continued to scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you ever fucking disappear like that again, you hear me? You could’ve gotten eaten alive for all I know, and no one would’ve been able to find your body! What the fuck would I tell the police, huh? ‘Sorry, officer, my friend walked into the woods and just never came back’? They’d throw me in jail thinking I murdered you! Don’t you have any fucking common sense?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First off-” Claude shoved Hilda off of him before patting his clothes down for any dirt or wrinkles in the fabric. “-if you take a hard look instead of trying to strangle me, you’d see I’m perfectly fine. Second, remember that it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> who wanted me to go in there to deliver that letter. Third, you should thank that nice wolf I met in those woods that I’m perfectly fine if you’re so worried about the cops thinking you killed me and dumped my body in some river.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda gave her roommate a look. “A wolf? Wolves don’t talk... Do they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that one did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell were you doing talking to a wolf in the middle of the forest?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh... He kinda tried to kill me at first,” he explained, “but he changed his mind once I promised to help him get back at Edelgard for whatever the hell it was she did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude, I swear, if you hurt a single hair on her head just to save your own ass from some mangy mutt-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn’t do anything! She’s fine, alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude let out a sigh. “I just agreed so that he wouldn’t eat me on the spot. Besides, even if I did actually try to hurt her, it’s not like either of us could’ve gotten away with it. As soon as she noticed him, that tall dude who’s always with her showed up, and they managed to chase him away from the house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, did he just lie about how he had to drag Dimitri away from the house in order to save their skins? Yes. Did Hilda need to know any of that information? Absolutely not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In fact, she seemed rather pleased with the white-lie. Her arms crossed over her chest as she cocked her hips to the side, staring in befuddlement at her roommate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. But now you can’t go back in those woods, or else you’ll maul you for lying to him,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s kinda solved too-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seiros fucking- What the hell, Claude!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude raised his arms in defense. “Relax! Look, let’s just say we worked things out and now we’re cool. If anything, he’s more likely to rip my face off for annoying him with my very presence rather than the fact I lied.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda narrowed her eyes at him. “In his defense, anyone would after spending only five minutes around you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, now that you’re back, we’ve got some stuff to take care of.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For starters, there’s no food in that fridge anymore,” she said, pointing over her shoulder to the tall, white fridge stored between the backdoor of the cottage and the counters in their kitchen. “So I was heading off to the market to get some more. But now that you’re back you can help me haul back even more food than I originally planned on getting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah, yes. For all the strength Hilda had inherited from her family line, along with the hours of labor she put into staying so close to the wilderness that helped build muscle, the girl was still quite lazy. If she wanted to, she could carry a whole cart of food back to the cottage with her bear hands. However, she usually enlisted the help of a strange man she managed to convince if not the service of Claude himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Knowing he had lost before he could do a single thing, Claude let out a sigh. “Alright. At least I’ll be able to see actual people again instead of just trees and rocks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then off we go!” the girl chirped, grabbing Claude’s hand as they made their way out the door. Grabbing a couple of baskets sitting by their garden, they then headed down the hill behind the cottage and towards the market that sat in the small valley there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was truly a relief to see so many people in one place again—all the lively faces of women, men, and children—instead of the dreaded creatures that lurked in the woods. It was safe to say Claude would never step foot in that place again if he had any say in it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately for him, the universe loved not letting him have a say in anything.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this is a lot shorter than what I usually post but honestly I have way too much planned for the next chapter and it wouldn't make sense to break that up just to fill this one in more.</p><p>Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this short update! Happy Holidays everyone!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Memories of Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dimitri remembers his childhood, and Edelgard's betrayal.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For as long as he could recall, the woods have always been like home to him. No, they were exactly that. They were his home. <em> Are </em> his home.</p><p>Dimitri, despite all that he’s gone through, was still able to remember the days of being a helpless, naive pup. He grew up in a rather large pack, and his father, the alpha of their people, was a wise and noble leader before his passing. When he was younger, Dimitri had always inspired to be just like him when the time came to fight for his inheritance. To lead their people with great pride and maintain the peaceful balance they shared at the time.</p><p>He would play with the other pups everyday under the watchful gazes of their mothers, playfully biting and wrestling as they practiced and honed their hunting skills. He mostly stuck with his closest friends whose parents—the betas of the pack—were all close to his own, but sometime he would wander far to see what the village to the east of their woods was up to. It was a rather small town hidden behind the trees in a small field. If one were to walk the dirt path through the forest, it would be fairly easy to miss it. The villagers and Dimitri’s pack lived in harmony with one another: so long as neither provoked any violence, they would keep to themselves. Sometimes, if a few pack members got lost, the humans would offer to help search for them, and the same kindness was offered to the humans on more than one occasion. Dimitri, however, never really got to meet any of the villagers personally.</p><p>That is, until the fire came, and everything he had known was burned in the flames. A good portion of the forest fell victim, and many animals lost their families, their lives, and their homes. That included Dimitri’s parents who were burnt alive in the tragedy. No one really knew how it started, but many of the wolves within their pack—and some far beyond, such as their northern brethren—blamed the humans from the east. In retaliation, they massacred the village until there was hardly anyone left. Any survivors had long fled the onslaught. All, except for one little boy that Dimitri managed to rescue: a human child, seemingly orphaned by the wolves from what the pup could gather, whose name was Dedue.</p><p>Dedue has ever since been loyal to Dimitri despite suspicion from what remained of his pack. But, despite the boy’s friendship and loyalty, the pup still held immense guilt for what happened to the villagers. Even though many suspected them, Dimitri knew the truth. It wasn’t the villagers who set the forest aflame.</p><p>The day it had all happened, Dimitri had been wandering the forest alone, as he always did. But this time, he was hoping to catch something to help prove his worth as the future alpha of his pack—something he had been working towards for as long as he had been alive, seeing as he was his parents’ only pup. During his quest, he stumbled upon a group of mysterious humans. At least, what he assumed were humans. They were dressed rather strangely, covered from head to toe in dark armor, and their skin looked sickeningly pale compared to the other humans his people have encountered. From behind the cover of the trees and tall grass, Dimitri watched in horror as they threw their torches onto the woodland floor with no hesitation. The fire then spread all throughout the forest, extending all the way to his pack’s cavern. He tried to warn them, but by the time he had reached them it was too late. With the chaos of animals running to safety, and the fire burning dried grass and tree bark left and right, it was difficult to make his way through without getting scorched (though he still didn’t make it out completely unscathed in the end). Once he reached the pack, he found himself being dragged away by his father’s right hand, Rodrigue, as the flames licked at their feet. He still remembered pleading with the wolf, begging him to turn back to rescue the others, but he was ultimately ignored.</p><p>Once the fire ceased and the flames died, they returned to find any survivors. All they could find were the charred corpses of their comrades and family, among them being Dimitri’s parents and Rodrigue’s eldest son. Dimitri had never forgotten that day. Not his grief nor the grief of his fellow pack members, and so he’d spent every day since then trying to find who had been behind that armor. He had also lost complete trust in humans, all except for his beloved friends Dedue and Edelgard.</p><p><em> Edelgard… </em> he thought bitterly.</p><p>He had met Edelgard when he was much younger, back when the packs were attempting to make peace with the humans surrounding their forest. She was born to the chief of a small village to the south of their borders, but after his passing there had been a schism between their people. Well, it was more of the wolves attempting to contact the humans only to be ignored for months on end. Edelgard was also no longer allowed to visit him in the forest, and he was no longer welcomed in their village either. It was something entirely new to him then. Before, the two of them were freely able to pay visits to one another in their territory. But now, any creature from these woods that so much as attempted to go near the village would be slaughtered. The people there feared the forest, and after their separation Dimitri did not get to see Edelgard for a long, long time.</p><p>Then came the day of The Hunt, when every wolf who was of age would go out and bring a kill back for the pack to feast on. Being the only child of his father, Dimitri was placed in charge to prove his worth as an alpha, and along with his fellow pack members and friends Ingrid and Felix—their friend Sylvain hailed from the North, who was having their own Hunt at the time, and thus could not join them in the East—managed to successfully capture a large elk. As they were dragging it back to the pack, Dimitri noticed the smell of ash in the air. He called the others to run back to the cave as quickly as possible, just in case, while he raced to find the source of the stench. When he finally managed to track it down, he saw a group of humans similar to the ones from his childhood attempting to burn down the forest. They bore the same armor, had the sickly paleness to their skin, and carried similar torches. And with them, to Dimitri’s utter shock, was Edelgard, who at the time apparently didn’t recognize Dimitri. He warned her that if she tried to burn down the forest, he would kill her. Edelgard and the mysterious humans then shortly fled after the sound of his pack members crying out to him echoed through the trees. Ever since then, Dimitri was sure it was her and her people who were responsible for the fire that killed his family and comrades.</p><p>Dimitri felt a spike of anger rise within him. Simply recalling such terrible memories made his blood absolutely boil.</p><p>“I swear to you,” he said, though seemingly to no one in particular, “I will find her, and I will have her head between my jaws if it takes even my last breath.”</p><p>Dimitri felt he could barely trust any humans, and any who dared to find themselves lost in these woods would perish by his hand. He would not make the same mistake of allowing them to flee. The only exception he could think of was Dedue, whose heart was pure and free of the sins his people accused him of.</p><p>Well, that was necessarily true, that Dimitri would only allow him to walk freely among the forest creatures. There was still that strange and overly annoying human, Claude.</p><p>Dimitri had never met a human like him before. Everything about the boy was, well, off-putting to say the least. Agreeing to a stranger’s demand on a whim, making light conversation with them when just moments ago they had their fangs and claws bared to rip your throat out... It was just pure insanity. Perhaps that was the best word Dimitri could think of to describe him. He was utterly insane.</p><p>Though, he was also intelligent, and that made Dimitri intrigued. Of course, he felt sickened by the thought of holding a human besides Dedue to such a high standard. But he couldn’t deny that Claude knew how to play the cards in his favor, even when dealt with a bad hand. However, that then begged the question: how sincere was he being through it all? Was Claude being genuinely nice to Dimitri, or was he just attempting to distract him to keep his life for just a little while longer? He hardly doubted that second part. Even an idiot would know not to continue pushing a clearly touchy subject if they hoped to have any chance of not becoming Dimitri’s next meal. Then again, was it all a tactic to try to get information out of him? Was he with Edelgard and those strange humans? Or was he really just as big of a fool as Dimitri perceived him to be?</p><p>Whatever the case, Dimitri knew he didn’t trust him. He only hoped he would never have to save the boy again, or even bump into him for that matter. The approximately two days he spent helping him find his way through the woods was more than enough interaction.</p><p>The wolf let out a heavy sigh. After all he had been through those two days—from dealing with Claude to yet another failed attempt at getting revenge for his fallen comrades—Dimitri was unsure of what to do next. Perhaps a visit to Dedue was in order? The man lived in what remained of the human village to the east of his pack, and he would always visit him either just to check on him or to let out his frustration. The small boy had grown into a wise young man, and for that Dimitri found him to be an admirable person.</p><p>Yes. Maybe that’s exactly what he would do. After all, if anyone was able to give good advice when someone was stuck in such a rut, it was Dedue.</p><p>Standing up from the rock he had sat upon to sulk, Dimitri made his way through the forest towards the quiet, mostly empty village to find his beloved friend.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy New Year ya'll (I say exactly three days after the 2021 has become a thing-). To celebrate, here is yet another update on this short fic I've written which I hope you've enjoyed. Also, I recently got a wrist pad to keep my wrists from hurting while I type so I've had to adjust for it since the padding turned out to be thicker than I thought. So if there's any grammar/spelling mistakes that's on me, and hopefully it doesn't impact my writing too much as I try to get used to writing with a wrist pad.</p><p>Anyway, catch ya'll on the flip side!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. An Ear to Bend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Now separated and having returned to their normal lives again, Dimitri and Claude retell the story of their meeting, both wondering if seeing one another again would ever be a good idea.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a long day at the market, but by the time the sun had begun its journey towards the end of the horizon, the moon rising in its place, Claude and Hilda had made it to the safety of their cabin with enough food to fill their bellies for the month. Well, assuming they didn’t have any company, but they could always go to the market the following week if needed. To celebrate the occasion of finally stocking up their fridge for the first time in weeks, Hilda chose to abandon her lazy ways and make the duo dinner—though she made sure Claude knew it was only for the night. Come morning, Claude would be the one to serve them their three-courses if he couldn’t make any solid deals with the pink-haired damsel.</p><p>It was such a disappointment too that Hilda didn’t cook more often. Despite Claude’s love for the spices of his home and the girl’s attitude towards any sort of labor, Hilda was, surprisingly, a very fine chef. Not the best, but it wasn’t like it was terrible. And the flavor was delightful as well.</p><p>Claude let out a sigh of satisfaction as he finished his bowl of beef stew, the beef having been a little bland considering Hilda refused Claude’s advice when she was preparing the meat to cook. He patted his stomach with a large grin and a short chuckle as he watched Hilda, who had barely touched her meal and instead was staring expectantly at the lad.</p><p>“Something wrong?” he asked. “Expecting some praise or ‘congrats’ from yours truly?”</p><p>“Claude-”</p><p>“No, seriously, cause this was actually pretty good.”</p><p>The girl huffed. “I could care less about your opinion on my cooking skills. What I wanna know is what the fuck were you up to in those woods?”</p><p>Claude groaned. “You still on that?”</p><p>“Considering you were practically held at knifepoint to kill Edelgard by some overgrown dog, yeah. I’d <em> love </em> to know, actually.”</p><p>“Technically I was the one with the knife-”</p><p>“Claude!”</p><p>“Okay! Okay! Relax,” he said, holding his hands up in defense. “Sheesh... I already told you what happened. A wolf dude threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him fight Edelgard, we got chased away, and he helped me get back home. What more do ya need to know?”</p><p>“Uh, I don’t know, <em> everything </em>?” She replied. Her hands were thrown in the air for extra dramatic effect as her face scrunched up irritably. “Like, who was he? Where did he come from? What beef does he even have with Edelgard?”</p><p>Claude scoffed. “Your guess is as good as mine on that last one. But fine, I’ll tell you as much of it as I can I guess.”</p><p>The boy leaned back in his chair as he retold the tale, except this time with more depth and details than he initially handed to the girl when he first stepped through the door. He told Hilda Dimitri’s name, and how he appeared much more human than wolf. All he really had were the ears, tail, claws, and fangs, and the two, dark blue slits in his eyes that resembled a cat’s pupils. Claude jokingly commented on how the other appeared more attractive that way, to which Hilda mumbled a short “fuckin’ furry” his way while chuckling. Claude had to pause his story to shoot back to the girl how she would go around the village and kiss toads trying to find Prince Charming from her fairytale books. Hilda, of course, attempted to deny it with no avail.</p><p>Claude went on with the story: “He was kinda distant and didn’t really let me get too close to him, which is understandable. But man, when I tell you that guy’s more stuck-up than fuckin’ Lorenz... Not nearly as snotty, nowhere near, but it felt like he was just constantly walking around with a stick up his ass.”</p><p>“Must’ve been a pain.”</p><p>“Eh. Could’ve been worse. Still, I couldn’t really help feelin’ bad, ya know?”</p><p>Hilda raised a brow. “Why’s that?”</p><p>“Well, he did manage to open up a little bit. He told me he left his pack, and I think he’s just been so alone that his people skills are garbage.”</p><p>“Firstly, Claude, he’s a wolf. Wolves don’t <em> do </em> people. Especially lone wolves,” the girl replied. “Second, I don’t really feel bad. Yeah, it’s sad, but he kinda made that choice for himself. Not much you can do about that.”</p><p>“I guess...” Claude let out a sigh. “Maybe I should check on him, or somethin’. He looked like he hadn’t spoken to anyone in awhile, and who knows? Maybe all the guy needs is a pal?”</p><p>Hilda’s eyes blew open wide, and immediately she stood up and yelled, “Are you fucking insane?” The girl slammed her hands on the table, nearly knocking over her now cold stew, and she leaned forward to tower over Claude’s small frame (he was taller than her, for sure, but compared to the other guys in town he was practically an elf; him and Ignatz both). “You want to go back to those woods and find the guy who nearly made you his next meal? Have you lost your damn mind!?”</p><p>Claude, however, was nowhere even near intimidated by Hilda’s outburst. He simply smirked to her and replied, “Ah, Hilda, ya know I practically live for the danger.” Bullshit, but his worries over Dimitri overrode his fear of getting eaten. “Once I get goin’ there’s nothing that can stop me.”</p><p>Hilda groaned. “I hate that you’re right about that. But still! If you get yourself killed I’m not getting the town guardsmen to collect your corpse.”</p><p>“It’s a deal then.”</p><p>“Ugh! Sometimes I really hate you!”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dimitri sat by the table, too intimidated to even look at the perfectly good wooden chair beside him. Human-like or not, he was a wolf, and wolves didn’t sit in chairs. It made him feel weird, behaving like a human being. He tried it once before during one of his last visits, but it didn’t go so well. So instead he simply sits on a cushion Mercedes—a dear friend and Dedue’s wife who hailed from another village to the west—whenever he dropped by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wolf was fiddling with a piece of loose string that had fallen off the cushion, a sigh escaping his lips as he gazed up at this beloved friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So... What do you suggest?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dedue, a kind man despite his tall and burly appearance, took a sip from his teacup before addressing the beta wolf. “Perhaps if you spoke to him again you could better analyze his motives,” he replied. “But I suggest you take caution.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt spending more time with him will get him to confess,” Dimitri huffed, his arms crossing over his chest stubbornly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He could be a potential ally to us, regardless of his suspicious attitude,” Dedue explained. “It sounds to me that he doesn’t know his way around the forest well. There was the rare but unlikely chance he’s had any previous affiliation with Edelgard, else he would’ve known the way without needing assistance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still, I don’t know what he could be planning, and if that witch is somehow involved then I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> tear him to shreds.” The beta let out a growl by pure accident. He rarely showed hostility around Dedue. He had no reason to. But when it came to the topic of that monster of a woman, Dimitri couldn’t help but feel tense and infuriated. Thankfully, Dedue had always been the understanding type. “Besides, I ordered him to stay away from these woods unless he wanted to get eaten.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, anyone, really.” Dimitri didn’t want to admit he had threatened Claude upon their first meeting. He had rather conveniently avoided discussing that while retelling the tale to Dedue. It was bad enough he had turned into this lonesome beast. He didn’t want to make others’ perception of him worse, especially the only friends he had left. Not that it really mattered to them, but to Dimitri their acceptance of him was the only thing keeping him sane at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dedue let out a soft hum, his teacup barely touching his lips as he thought carefully. “Well, then you make a good point. I also wonder if he would actually listen to you, considering your description of him. He sounds like the type to do whatever he pleased, and, most worryingly, whenever he pleased.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri nodded in agreement. “Exactly my thoughts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still, one conversation can’t hurt. If you so like, you could always lead him back here. If he tries anything...” Dedue’s eyes wandered over to gaze at the axe sitting in the corner of the room. Dimitri’s followed, and he understood quite well what his friend was implying. He shook his head with another sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt if he does have anything up his sleeve,” the wolf said. “I will handle him myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you agree then? To speak to him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Yes,” he replied, though rather begrudgingly. It was obvious from the tone in his voice that, while he didn’t want to be near that loathsome and nosy human for as long as he lived, he would still head Dedue’s advice. The man had never led him astray before. “If I ever run into him again, I’ll be sure to speak to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri then got up from the cushion to stand, his neck no longer aching from having to look up at his friend from the spot on the floor. “Thank you, Dedue. As always this visit has been wonderful, and do say hello to Mercedes for me whenever she returns.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile crawled onto Dedue’s lips. He set the teacup in his hands down and nodded to the wolf. “Of course, sire. I will always be here for you whenever you require me, regardless of the reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sheepish smile spread across the wolf’s features. “Of course. Farewell, my dear friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And like that, the two hugged as they parted, and Dimitri took off into the dense trees and grass of the woods surrounding the nearly abandoned village. As the wolf delved deeper and deeper into the thicket, he could see that the light of the meadow was slowly disappearing, and the broken and destroyed homes vanished behind bundles of bushes and wildlife.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Funny Seeing You Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Claude tries to find Dimitri, only to get lost in the woods yet again.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite Hilda’s protests, and his better judgement, Claude grabbed his red cloak and a spare flashlight before rushing out into the wilderness. It had been a few days since Dimitri rescued him and took him back home, and the cheeky teen had grown worried about the isolated wolf. So he took off without a second thought, paying no heed to the setting sun and growing darkness as he searched for the blue-eyed beast.</p><p>Claude walked with caution along the dirt road, swinging the light of his flashlight towards any and every sound that made him jump. A tree branch cracking here, a rustling of a bush there, leaves swaying in the trees above as the summer breeze blew in. It was a terrifying experience, but Claude would not lose face. He trekked on, caring not for whatever dangers lurked in the shadows so long as he was able to find Dimitri. That was his goal, and he would see it completed before the morning sun rose in the sky.</p><p>However, as the boy found himself deeper and deeper into the forest, slowly getting lost, he heard a rather loud <em> CRACK! </em> off to his right. Claude jumped, aiming the light towards a pack of blueberry bushes. He stood as still as stone as his green eyes studied his surroundings, watching with slight panic as the bundles of green started to shake and stir. A small part of him told him to run, but another much louder voice told him it might just be Dimitri attempting to scare him. He <em> had </em> warned him to never step foot in these woods again. Maybe this was his way of getting Claude to finally listen?</p><p>Understanding this, Claude let out a chuckle. “Okay, you got me, Dima. I’m so scared,” he said mockingly. He stepped towards the bushes with a sly grin. “But you’re gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want me off your back. I’m not leaving until I-”</p><p>Just then, a creature that was much, <em> much </em> taller than Dimitri stood up from the greenery. It was absolutely massive, and covered head to toe in brown fur. Its snout was short, and its eyes were tiny compared to the rest of its body, but the sharp canines and claws it possessed were big enough to crush Claude’s bones. And as it let out a fearsome roar, Claude suddenly realized that that was <em> not </em> Dimitri.</p><p>“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” the boy screamed, immediately dropping the flashlight and running as fear consumed his mind. Behind him, the bear let out another roar as it fell back onto all fours and began its chase.</p><p>Claude paid no attention to the direction in which he ran. All that he knew was that he had to get the hell out of there before he became bear chow. His breath was ragged as hard, quick pants escaped his lips, his lungs screaming for a break as his legs carried him as far as they could away from the brown-haired beast behind him. But from the sounds of paws thudding against grass and dirt, he knew it was a fruitless effort. It would only be a matter of time before the bear caught up to him. The further he ran, the more the realization began to dawn on him. His eyes shut tight as he dashed through the forest, afraid that if he opened them he would stare directly into the jaws of the deadly creature.</p><p>
  <em> Please, someone help me! </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The sound of screaming made Dimitri’s ears perk. His head whipped in the direction of the echoing voice, the noise disturbing the birds that had previously been sleeping in their nests high above in the trees. The wolf rubbed and scratched at his ears, wondering if what he was actually what he, well, had heard.</p><p>
  <em> I could have sworn that sounded like- </em>
</p><p>“Heeeeeeeeeeelp!” cried the voice.</p><p>Yep. Definitely Claude.</p><p>Within an instant, Dimitri got to his feet and dashed in the direction of the scream. He rushed past creatures who scattered as he pushed himself through the forest, shoving low-hanging trees and bushes out of his way. The more he ran the closer he knew he was getting. The human’s scent was even hanging in the air, and it grew stronger and stronger as he neared. However, his nose had picked up another scent. One much more dangerous and feral, and Dimitri picked up the pace.</p><p>Jumping out from a line of trees, Dimitri saw the terrified face of his old companion. Claude skidded to a halt as the wolf appeared from seemingly nowhere and fell straight on his behind.</p><p>Dimitri tried to ask, “Claude, what is happening?”, but the roar of a bear reached them before he could even get the words out. The wolf’s gaze moved to the large sack of brown fur, his eyes narrowing as it stood up on its hind legs in an attempt to intimidate.</p><p>Not hesitating in the slightest, Dimitri pushed Claude behind him as he squared up to the bear. He puffed out his broad chest and held his arms up on either side of him, attempting to look bigger than he already was. His fangs and claws were bared, black pupils shifted into thin slits, and a deep, guttural growl escaped from his throat. Behind him, Claude watched in amazement as he slowly recognized Dimitri’s figure in the dark.</p><p>“Dude, what are you doing?” he shouted.</p><p>“Stay back, and don’t make a move,” the wolf instructed him.</p><p>“You don’t really expect to take on a bear and <em> fucking win </em> do you?”</p><p>“If you shut up and let me do what I have to, then yes.”</p><p><em> Okay, it’s official, this guy is fucking crazy, </em> Claude thought to himself. But still, he watched in both horror and awe as Dimitri and the bear sized one another up. The wolf stood protectively in front of the teen, his hair puffed up in irritation like fur, and his feet shifting from one side to the other as the bear attempted to rear him. The bear’s patience with winning the fight via tactics seemed to be wearing thin. It let out a loud roar as it finally reached in to attack, swiping its large paw at Dimitri.</p><p>Dimitri dodged it skillfully, stepping back before pushing forward again in assault. Taking the opening he saw, he scratched at the bear’s neck, but he had underestimated its height advantage. His claws could only tear at the skin on the bear’s chest, which clearly upset the beast. It cried out in pain before rushing in to attack once more. Dimitri was not able to dodge this one, and the long claws of the beast landed the hit.</p><p>“Dimitri!” Claude cried out in worry. Though his eyes could not see it, he knew the smell of blood was egging the bear on further.</p><p>It attempted to attack again, but Dimitri was too quick. With the right side of his face bleeding profusely, he rolled out of the bear’s hit range before charging once more. This time, he leapt on the beast with full force, and dug his teeth into its neck. The bear screamed in pain as Dimitri attempted to chew through the thick tissue. It stumbled backwards, losing its balance from the unexpected move, and thrashed about in a failed attempt to throw the wolf off itself. Dimitri was not willing to let go. Rather, he took the chance to claw at the bear’s face now that he was in close enough range. It cried out again, this time using its paws to smack Dimitri off.</p><p>The force was enough to throw the wolf back onto the dirt, but he couldn’t help the smirk on his face as he looked up from the ground and at his handiwork.</p><p>“Now we match,” he hissed, eyeing the claw marks over the left side of the bear’s face as well as the deep gash of red on its neck. There was a growl in his voice as he glared at it. The creature let out a huff before turning tail to retreat. It had realized it would not be a very easy fight, and it would be much simpler to leave the wolf and his friend alone.</p><p>Dimitri waited until the bear was completely out of sight before turning back to Claude, who looked on with surprise.</p><p>“Are you alright?” he asked, a tone of annoyance lacing his voice.</p><p>It took a moment for Claude to respond, but when he was finally kicked out of his haze he quickly got to his feet and, to Dimitri’s surprise, smacked the wolf across the cheek.</p><p>“Gah!” he cried out.</p><p>“That’s for fighting a fucking bear,” Claude replied. Then, he gave the wolf a hard punch on the shoulder, which didn’t quite faze him as much. “And that’s for fighting a bear and <em> getting your eye clawed off </em>! Seriously, what were you thinking?”</p><p>Dimitri glared at him as he rubbed his cheek. It wasn’t that Claude was particularly stronger than Dimitri, but the strike was unexpected, and the wolf was already weakened by his wounds. “You should be grateful. I could have easily let you get eaten by that beast.”</p><p>“I <em> am </em> grateful. But I’m also trying to show you how fucking dumb that was.”</p><p>“Not as dumb as entering the woods in the middle of the night. Why are you even here? I thought I told you to stay away!”</p><p>“I... Uh...” Claude suddenly grew bashful, his green eyes suddenly avoiding the wolf’s gaze. “I just kinda do what I want. You should know that by now.”</p><p><em> Unfortunately I do </em>, the wolf internally grumbled. Dimitri let out a sigh as he grabbed for Claude’s hand and began to walk down back towards the dirt path.</p><p>“Fine. But this time, actually listen to me,” he hissed. “I’ll take you home once more just for this last time. Your human eyes won’t be able to see through this dense forest without a torch. Did you even bother bringing one?”</p><p>Claude let out a nervous chuckle. “I kinda dropped it when I was running from the bear. See, I had thought it was you rustling through the bushes trying to scare me to go back home. So, uh, I didn’t exactly expect a bear to jump out and chase me.”</p><p>“Maybe this time you’ll heed my warning...”</p><p>“No promises,” the human replied rather cheekly.</p><p>Dimitri did his best to hold back a groan of annoyance, rolling his eye at the human. However, shortly after the two had begun their walk did Claude suddenly halt. Dimitri looked back at him in irritated curiosity.</p><p>“Why’d you stop?”</p><p>“I’m not letting you take me home while you’re bleeding out,” Claude replied. “Let’s find a cave so I can treat those wounds.”</p><p>Dimitri shook his head. “It’s nothing. Let’s just go.”</p><p>“No!” Claude insisted. He pulled Dimitri’s hand away from himself, but the wolf’s grip was much stronger than the human expected. “We’re not going anywhere till you get that taken care of.”</p><p>“Do you even have such supplies on your person?”</p><p>Claude nods, and digs into the pockets of his red hood to pull out a small med kit he had packed just in case. Dimitri didn’t really want to deal with the guy longer than he had to, but if letting him treat his wounds would get him out of these woods faster than so be it.</p><p>“Fine. I know a cave not too far from here. Just...follow me.”</p><p>“You sure know a lot about caves and their locations.”</p><p>“For the love of the gods, <em> shut up </em>.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, the cavern was much larger, allowing Claude and Dimitri to hide better from any predators still lurking about. Though there was also the risk of having nowhere to run if one came upon them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The former had started up a fire to keep them warm while he tended to the wolf’s wounds. Dimitri hissed in agony before his voice fell into an angry whimper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, stop being such a baby about it,” Claude told him. “If you hadn’t been so reckless, we wouldn’t have to do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With only one eye left—the other now swollen from under the blood—the blond glared at him. “If you had heeded my warning, I wouldn’t have had to jump in to save you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude opened his mouth to retort, but quickly shut it again as he dabbed the cotton in his hand with alcohol once again. He rubbed it gently over the wound on Dimitri’s face, and the wolf hissed again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How bad is it?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hard to tell. Hopefully you don’t lose your eye.” Claude tossed the bloody cotton away, grabbing another from the med kit. “Hey, I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have come back here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri scoffed. It was a little too late for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright,” Claude confessed. “You weren’t exactly in good shape last we talked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, in Claude’s opinion, the guy seemed to have only gotten worse. The bags under his eyes—well, now eye singular—were much deeper, his hair was growing out and becoming rather untamed and smelly (he could see the knots it in from where he sat just across from him), and on occasion he noticed the guy’s ears twitching atop his head, as if he was hearing something in the distance. Claude wondered if it was just his senses picking up the other forest creatures, or maybe even the sound of the wind howling, but the frequency of the twitching was too high for his liking. Either way, it also seemed to be getting on Dimitri’s nerves. The guy would occasionally growl in the direction of the noise, his eye darting to the left or right quickly before fixating itself back to the flames. He was also insanely tense, though that one was expected. The injury the bear had given him was terrible, and Claude wasn’t sure he’d ever recover his right eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I’m...appreciative of your concern, I fear your worries are for nothing,” Dimitri answered him. “As you see I’m perfectly fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You can’t bullshit a bullshitter, Dimitri. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Claude let out a sigh as he continued his work. Eventually, he was able to get rid of most of the blood, and the wound was healing well already. All that was left was to wrap it up in bandages and then check it again in the morning for any infections. Who knows what was on that bear’s claws.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he was done, Claude didn’t pull his gaze away from the wolf. He wanted to get a good look at him. It had only been a couple of days since they last saw each other, but from the wolf’s appearance it seemed to almost be years. He was just...different, while Claude had barely changed. Well, of course he wouldn’t change this fast. He had a stable life, he was able to take care of himself, and he did so very often. The same couldn’t exactly be said about Dimitri, however. He looked as if he had aged decades from the exhaustion on his face alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But even with the ugly bags, the messy hair, and overall looking like a dead rodent who was laying in a pile of its own shit and vomit, Claude could still see a sliver of beauty in Dimitri’s face. It was ironic in a way. Hilda likely would’ve gagged if she had seen the wolf’s current state. But Claude? He had never seen anyone as attractive. Not even close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, maybe that lumberjack Eisner guy, but that was about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude was just so enamoured by the wolf, as strange as it felt and sounded, he didn’t even notice he was reaching out to move a strand of long, golden hair back. Dimitri did, however, and he stared back in confused wonder, a pink hue dusting his cheeks. Catching his gaze, Claude let out a chuckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. Hair was getting in the way. Gotta make sure I didn’t miss any blood.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He almost sounded...dejected. Disappointed, even, that that was all Claude had to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should both catch some sleep,” the boy said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. You sleep, I’ll keep guard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude scowled. “No way. You need to sleep too. Just look at you, dude!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit, he noticed?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “I’m fine,” the wolf repeated. “Besides. That bear might still be out hunting for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remembering the bear, Claude’s body shook and shivered in horror. Fine. He wasn’t in the mood to argue much anyway. He pouts at Dimitri before crawling onto his side by the fire to rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight, Dimitri.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri hummed in response, waiting until he could hear the shallow breathing of the human beside him. When he’s sure that Claude is asleep, his gaze wanders onto the boy’s sleeping form. This time, it’s Dimitri’s turn to inspect Claude.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, he notices the stark differences between the two of them. Dimitri looks aged for someone so young, but Claude seems to have eternal youth—save for the slight hint of facial hair growing on his jaw. So young, yet from his scent alone Dimitri could tell they were roughly the same age. He wasn’t exactly a normal wolf after all, and his people aged similar to humans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next thing he notices Claude’s beauty. Even for a human man, he was quite attractive. Dimitri was never one to deny such a thing. But Claude appeared almost...ethereal. God-like in his looks. It was surprising to say the least. And it makes Dimitri uncomfortable to have such thoughts. Especially for a human of all things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hates the way he feels his heart hammering in his chest as he parrots Claude’s actions earlier, taking a lock of brown hair that clung to his cheek and pushing it back behind his ear. He hates how his face starts to heat up, the evidence of it no doubt spreading across his face. Unlike Claude’s blush which would appear darker under such warm, sun-kissed skin—it was embarrassing how much of this he paid attention to when he had only known the guy for a week at most—Dimitri’s was a fiery red that contrasted greatly against his pale skin, making it much harder to hide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was this feeling within him whenever he looked at Claude, especially now under the bright moonlight and the dancing glow of embers, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. As good as it felt, as happy as it made him for just a moment, he hated it. The last time he allowed himself to get close to a person like this...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri shook his head, pulling his hand away from Claude’s face. His gaze returns to the dimming fire. But, despite the memory flashing in his mind of the woman who betrayed him, Dimitri could no longer hear them. The voices. It was completely silent, his ears no longer twitching as they whispered in them. Glen, his parents, all the other wolves who perished... They were nowhere to be seen or even heard. There was nothing but the crackling of the flames and Claude’s soft snoring echoing through the caves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for once, Dimitri allowed himself to enjoy the silence.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This originally much longer than this, but there was already so much by the time I got to halfway through the script I laid out so I decided to cut some of it. It was also originally supposed to go up last week, but my grandma got me sick when I went to visit her and my brother so I was too busy dying to write, lol.</p><p>Anyway, hope ya'll enjoyed. See you next time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Back Home (Again...)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dimitri guides Claude back home once more, but this time there's a bit of a twist in their plans.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the sun rose again in the morning, Dimitri and Claude got to their feet to start the journey back home. But, of course, not without checking the former’s injuries first. Taking his first aid kit, Claude got to work removing the bloodied bandages, disinfecting the wound—the marks of the bear’s claws were more prominent now without all the blood, but the eye was still swollen shut—and then rebandaging it. It was unlikely Dimitri would ever recover his eye, and he’d just have to work with only being able to see with the one left unscathced.</p><p>When Claude told Dimitri of this news, the wolf shrugged it off. The boy wondered just how he could possibly just be fine with no longer having his vision. At least, not to the same extent as before.</p><p>“I’ve lost my family, my friends, and more. An eye is as insignificant to me as a pebble in the dirt.”</p><p>Claude thought that response ridiculous, but knowing Dimitri he figured it was better not to argue. With the injury taken care of, the two set off. Dimitri led the way down the dirt path they had taken before back to Claude’s house, and as they walked Claude took the time to admire the scenery.</p><p>Birds could be heard chirping from the tree tops above, smaller critters scurried across the forest floor and zooming from branch-to-branch. From nearby came the sound of rushing water from a small river. It was rather beautiful, but Claude was all too aware of the horrors that befell this place once the sun set. He considered this as his gaze moved towards the wolf accompanying him, green eyes slowly roaming from the top of that messy mop of blond down to that broad chest covered in nothing but thick, brown furs and leather—why he had never questioned the other’s form of dress was beyond him.</p><p>It had suddenly dawned on him just how Dimitri was living in these woods: he was all by himself, with no permanent shelter, no friends, and surrounded by danger. Despite being a fearsome predator himself, Dimitri was also much weaker compared to other creatures in these woods. That bear from the day before was just one prime example. Elk tended to be dangerous as well with their large antlers sharp enough to pierce clean through one’s skin like a spear, and one wolf was nothing compared to a whole pack of them when hunting grew rough. Dimitri had no one, yet had to face all this. And here he was wasting his time by being stupid and getting lost in the woods...again. The wolf had even lost his eye attempting to save his sorry ass.</p><p>Feeling the guilt rise in his throat, Claude tried to think of ways to make it up to him. He could prepare a warm meal for him so he wouldn’t have to hunt. But one meal just didn’t feel like enough, and he didn’t trust himself to not get lost again trying to deliver it. Maybe Dimitri could visit their home for meals? He could sit down with Claude and Hilda for dinner if prey started growing scarce. Especially in the winter. But that also seemed like a lot of effort for the wolf.</p><p>That’s when an idea hit him.</p><p>“Hey Dima,” Claude called to him, “there’s plenty of room over at our cabin, and I’m sure Hilda wouldn’t mind having another roommate.”</p><p>Dimitri looked back to him, his eye narrowed in a glare. “And?”</p><p>“Well, I was thinkin’, maybe you could fill in that spot, eh?” Claude gave a sly grin as he playfully elbowed the wolf in the arm, the damage taking no effect on the more powerful creature.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“I said ‘no’,” the wolf scoffed, moving his gaze back towards the path ahead. “I’m alright on my own. I don’t need help.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“Besides, I have others willing to welcome me in their home. I refuse to intrude on others.”</p><p>With his curiosity now peaked, Claude questioned, “Who?” Then, realizing he wasn’t specific enough, he added, “I mean... I thought you left your pack.”</p><p>Dimitri glanced at him. “There is a man that lives in a remote village not far from my family’s caves. His name is Dedue, and we became friends after I left my pack. Him and his wife, Mercedes, offer me food and shelter whenever I require and cannot obtain them myself. If your reason to invite me was because you worried for my needs, know that I’m not <em> entirely </em> on my own out here.”</p><p>Well, that was a little bit reassuring. But Claude’s thirst to know more was not quenched. “Really? That’s unexpected. And here I thought you hated all humans, with the exception of me of course-” He ignored the annoyed huff from the wolf. “-but I’d love to hear more about your friends. How’d you guys meet?”</p><p>“As I said, it was sometime after I had left my pack. I had saved his life, and in return he promised me his home and food if I ever needed them. Mercedes came some time later, though I hadn’t the fondest idea how they met.” After all, he had never bothered to ask. The two seemed happy, and despite his initial mistrust of the woman Dimitri did eventually open up to her. “I don’t live with them like how you’re proposing, but I visit them when I can. They’re...like family to me, I suppose.”</p><p>A faint smile crawled onto Dimitri’s lips, making Claude gush. He hadn’t really seen the wolf smile like that before, and it excited him to see him have emotions other than anger and annoyance. “Aw, that’s real sweet, Dima! Tell me more, please? They sound like really nice folk.”</p><p>Dimitri tried to ignore the little nickname Claude seemed to have given him as he answered, “I’d rather not. Maybe one day.”</p><p>
  <em> Damn. Guess that’s all I’m getting from him. At least for today. </em>
</p><p>“Think maybe you could introduce me to them?” he asked. “I’m uh...not very popular in the village nearby. And I’d love to get to know more people.”</p><p>“...Perhaps.” Dimitri’s face flushed as he realized what he had agreed to just now. “That is...if your offer is still on the table.”</p><p>It was a nice idea now that Claude had brought it up. Many of the forest’s animals knew who he was. They saw him as nothing more than a mad wolf, a beast with a lust for blood. He supposed, in the sense of “popularity”, him and Claude weren’t so different. He then wondered if Claude had mentioned him to that girl he was living with—Hilda was her name, right?—and if she was as eager about his presence as Claude seemed to be. Maybe... Maybe spending a day or two among humans again wasn’t such a bad idea. At least Dimitri hoped not.</p><p>Claude didn’t seem to think so. Especially not with the way he smiled up at Dimitri. “Of course,” he replied, answering the wolf’s question.</p><p>This time, Dimitri couldn’t help but smile back, cheeks painted in a pink hue. “Excellent.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time the duo made it to Claude’s cabin, the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. Hues of orange, pink, and baby blues decorated the world around them from the wide open sky above to the grassy fields below their feet. As they approached the clearing, Claude could see Hilda waiting for him atop the hill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pink-haired girl rushed to their side the minute she noticed them step out from the trees, and boy </span>
  <em>
    <span>was she pissed</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude!” she shouted furiously at her roommate. “What the heck were you thinking!? I told you you’d get lost again! But no, you never wanna listen to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude gave a nervous chuckle. “Sorry ‘bout that Hilda,” he said. “I uh… Well, it’s a long story-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Long story my ass! Ugh, I swear, at this rate you’ll just get yourself killed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri, meanwhile, watched with amusement as the human girl continued berating the very thorn in his side next to him. Her anger seemed to completely distract her from his presence, which he didn’t mind all that much. Especially if it meant Claude got his just desserts for being such a fool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-I just seriously can’t believe you! And who the fuck is this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hilda,” Claude said, his tone as soft as he could possibly make it so as to not upset the girl further, “this is Dimitri. That wolf guy that I told you about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...You mean the one that tried to kill you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri threw a glare at Claude. “You told her about that? Seriously?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy threw his hands up defensively. “Hey! I didn’t really make it a big deal. She’s the one who started asking questions. Besides, not exactly the first time someone’s tried to kill me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda scoffed as she crossed her arms. “Yeah. He’s good with getting on people’s nerves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree,” the wolf sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Ugh, forget it. Anyway... Dima, since the offer’s still on the table, you can come inside with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You invited him to stay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only if he wants to! Like I said, he ain’t exactly a people person- er, well, wolf.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience,” Dimitri replied. “Perhaps some other day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda quirked a brow. “You sure? We’re having stew tonight. It’s pretty good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Hilda might be lazy, but she’s a real good cook when she puts in the effort.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude, I swear, I’m gonna-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Hilda could finish the details of her threat, Dimitri cut in, “Well, if both of you insist, then I suppose so. But just until the meal is over. I still have to return to the woods.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two humans looked back at the wolf in surprise. They exchanged a glance, then turned to Dimitri with matching smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In that case, let’s head on in!” Claude exclaimed, grabbing Dimitri’s hand to drag him up the hill and into the cabin. Hilda followed closely behind, sighing as she watched the pair run off like children.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, she didn’t miss the smallest hint of a blush on each of their faces. It confused her for a moment, leaving her to wonder why they were acting so close, but as she watched them for the rest of the night she was finally able to make the connection. She couldn’t help but give a smug grin the entire time, even as Dimitri headed off back into the forest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Claude had asked her about it later she simply brushed him off and went to bed. It was better to let the two figure it out themselves, at least for the time being.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Perhaps...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dimitri seeks out advice from Dedue once more, except Dedue isn't home.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>And just like that, Dimitri became a regular at the Hilda-Claude household. For a straight month, the wolf would crawl from out of the woods to join the two for dinner, and sometimes for other meals. He also started coming by to help with chores. It first started when he came by for some lunch—to Hilda’s insistence; the girl started to become quite attached to the wolf herself—when he spotted Claude struggling to pick a carrot from out of the ground. The boy at first refused his help.</p><p>“I totally got this!” he declared rather boldly. However, he still couldn’t seem to get the vegetable from out of the ground. No matter how many times he tried—Dimitri counted a total of 10 times—he would simply fall flat on his butt trying to get it out. With a sigh, Dimitri grabbed the petiole from its base at the stem and tugged, making the large carrot pop out with ease. Claude, of course, thanked him, and it was then that he got the brilliant idea to have him also help out with the more strenuous chores around the place.</p><p>Dimitri didn’t mind too much. If it kept Claude out of trouble, and from getting hurt in the dumbest ways possible, he would happily take on the task. However, the wolf didn’t like the strange pull he felt whenever he came around the cabin’s hill. He still didn’t quite trust humans, and it left him troubled that he was so easily growing closer and closer to the odd duo. Especially every night when they would offer him to stay forever, and the tiniest voice in the back of his head would scream at him to say yes. Yet, each time, he would simply refuse.</p><p>It was such a bother to the wolf that he even began to lose sleep—well, more than usual—wondering to himself if he was making the right choice. The voices of his father and the other wolves didn’t help much either. The way they would remain in silence when he was around Claude and Hilda bothered him. They would just stand there in the corner of the dining room, watching ever so quietly, and he could only stare back in horror at their mangled bodies, flesh barely hanging onto their bones. Yet, they would still say nothing. Not until he finally left. Only then would they continue their torture. Thankfully, neither Hilda nor Claude said a thing when he would stare back at them. He wondered if, sometimes, they even noticed.</p><p>So here he was, standing in the abandoned village once again. His steps were slow and unsure. He hadn’t been back here in so long, but he knew Dedue would understand. He always did.</p><p>Dimitri looked around cautiously as he roamed through the empty town. Who knew who else was around here. Eventually, he made it to Dedue’s home and walked up to the door. He knocked once, then twice, per their code, and the door was opened shortly after to reveal a smiling—and strangely plump—Mercedes.</p><p>“Ah! Dimitri, you’ve come back. It’s been some time, hasn’t it?” she chirped.</p><p>Dimitri nodded. “Yes. It’s wonderful seeing you again, Mercedes. You look um...different.” He felt hesitant in saying it. After all, he didn’t want to sound rude.</p><p>However, Mercedes only sheepishly giggled. “So you’ve noticed. Dedue tries to tell me it’s not that big yet, but I knew he was only trying to be sweet. I’m not really insecure about it, after all.” Her arms go to carefully wrap around her protruding belly. “But come in! Come in! Oh, you’ve been gone for so long, I’m sure there’s plenty to talk about!”</p><p>“A-Actually, Mercedes, if you don’t mind, I was wondering if Dedue was around?” He wasn’t exactly comfortable talking to her about this. Especially if she was what he thought she was. He couldn’t possibly stress her out with his own issues. Unfortunately, the woman shook her head.</p><p>“He’s gone to the market today for some spices. We were running out, and he had the most wonderful idea for a dish tonight,” she explained. “But you can always talk to me if there’s something troubling you.”</p><p>Shit. Well, there goes that plan...</p><p>“Ah, I couldn’t possibly- I mean, um, I wouldn’t want to trouble you. Especially with your um...condition. The stress could-”</p><p>Mercedes giggled, but the wolf didn’t miss the hint of a frown on her lips. “I’m pregnant, Dimitri, not fragile. But I understand if you don’t feel like sharing. Especially if it has anything to do with, well, you know...<em> her </em>.”</p><p>Ah, so she knew after all. Well, the wood was very old in this house, so it made sense that the walls wouldn’t be thick enough to block out his conversations with Dedue.</p><p>“No,” he replied. “It has nothing to do with her. If... If you truly don’t mind, then I suppose I could share a little.”</p><p>“Wonderful! Then let’s head on in before it gets any darker.”</p><p>Without another word, Dimitri followed Mercedes inside.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dimitri sat across from Mercedes, a warm cup of chamomile tea in his hand. He gingerly sipped from it as the woman went on with her story about her and Dedue’s discovery of their new child. Apparently, the two of them were much more...</span>
  <em>
    <span>active</span>
  </em>
  <span> than he would have guessed, which was why it didn’t seem as much of a shock to the couple as it did to him. Still, he felt happy for them. Dedue was finally building a family of his own now, and considering what he’s already gone through, well, he more than deserved this good news.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but listen to me rant on and on... So, what is it that’s been bothering you, hm?” the kind woman asked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri chewed his lip with one of his canines, the sharp tooth sticking out rather noticeably. “Well,” he said, “I’ve become much more acquainted with Claude recently, as well as with his roommate, Hilda. And… Well, they’ve invited me to live with them, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I still don’t quite trust them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you’ve spent this whole time with them, haven’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri didn’t reply. His gaze fell to the floor, attempting to come up with some excuse or other. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They kept insisting</span>
  </em>
  <span>, or something along those lines. While true, Claude had insisted on a lot on more than one occasion, and he still hadn’t given everything to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, Mercedes gave a smile. “It’s always nice to make new friends, Dimitri. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. They don’t seem all that dangerous, right? So what’s the harm in being their friend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I still haven’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dimitri, look at you,” she said. “You haven’t looked this bad, well, ever.” For emphasis, she leaned closer to the wolf and ran her hand through his mangy, unclean hair, making Dimitri flinch. Hilda had made a comment about it on more than one occasion, even threatening to toss Dimitri into the lake nearby herself if he refused to wash it. “Ever since you left your pack, you’ve just seemed miserable. Your mind’s only ever been on one thing. Maybe it’d be a nice change of pace for you? At least give it a try?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri scoffed. “I don’t need them,” he said. “I’m perfectly fine on my own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you?” Mercedes challenged. “How have your nightmares been?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To this, Dimitri didn’t answer, but his silence was enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what of the voices? Do you still hear them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Not when I’m there. They just...stay quiet, watching us,” he explained. “But once I leave that cabin...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he fell back into silence, Mercedes gave an understanding nod. “Then maybe having them as friends isn’t such a bad idea? It could even improve your condition. I know how much the voices trouble you... Dedue tells me all the time how you always come here after a really bad dream. You’d cling to him until you couldn’t hear them anymore...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde moved closer, slowly pulling Dimitri into a hug as his body started to tremble. Those nights were always the worst. During the few times he was able to sleep, the voices would haunt him in his dreams. Sometimes, the dreams would be his memories of the fire. He would see the rotten, burnt flesh of his family and the other wolves as they reached out to him, calling for him to save them. But no matter how fast he ran to them, he would stay in the same place. As if someone had glued him to the spot, forcing him to watch his pack die in agony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to be alone anymore, Dimitri,” she told him. “Dedue and I won’t always be here for you. Maybe it’s time you start building a new life for yourself...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Should he? No. It felt wrong. He couldn’t just let those who’ve died be forgotten like that. He wouldn’t stop until he’s had his revenge. Edelgard and the other humans were going to pay for their crimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...But Mercedes was right. How much longer would he last like this? The sleepless nights, the severe decline of his mental state… It wouldn’t be long before he went completely mad, losing all sense of himself. Perhaps he could just...give this a chance?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Quietly, choking on the words from his own throat, Dimitri whispered to Mercedes, “You’re right. I… I’ll try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercedes in turn gave a hum. She continued to embrace the wolf, the tea in their hands from before completely forgotten and gone cold, and rubbed circles onto his back gently to soothe his shaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should head to them before it gets dark. Or would you like to stay here for the night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri shook his head. “I will be alright. Not the first time I’ve been dragged through the forest in the middle of the night.” He let out a soft chuckle, remembering back when he and Claude first met. It hadn’t been that long ago, but now it felt like they’ve known each other for years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercedes couldn’t help but chuckle alongside him. “Be sure to stay safe, and visit us when you can. I would still be nice for you to see the baby when they’re finally born, and I’m sure Dedue feels the same way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Thank you, Mercedes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any time, dear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>First taking a few moments to compose himself, Dimitri prepared for the short journey towards Hilda and Claude’s cabin. He didn’t have much to bring as he often hopped around the forest, moving from cavern-to-cavern, so he didn’t quite have anything of actual value to carry with him. However, Mercedes gave him a parting gift: a small quilt she knitted herself to remember them by. He gave his thanks once more before heading off into the dark forest, his heart hammering in his chest as he took the path towards Hilda and Claude’s house. With luck, he’d make it there some time after dawn if not before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still wasn’t completely sure about this—after all, he still had his doubts about humans—but he felt ready to try to move on from his isolated ways. Even just a little bit.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not gonna lie.... I forgot this fic existed. BUT TO BE FAIR my professors are on some bull this semester so I'm basically confused all the time and have 0 clue of what I'm even doing. I've also lost all perception of time at this point but I think that's just my manic kicking in again (hooray...)</p><p>But yeah, Mercie is pregananat and Dimitri's having a crisis from the shear willpower of having actual friends instead of being a caveman(wolf?) forever. This short story is almost at an end too so we've only got a few more chapters to go.</p><p>Catch ya'll on the flip side.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Welcoming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Claude heads out to the market, and comes back to find a surprise.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW: hints of racism</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The minute the sun rose into the sky, Claude had set out to the market to pick up some things. The night before, while Hilda was making dinner, the two of them noticed just how empty their stock was starting to look. Hilda was surprised that they were suddenly losing food so fast, as was Claude for a moment. But it made sense what with their frequent—albeit inconsistent—guest. He supposed neither of them were truly prepared for satiating the appetite of a wolf seeing as, well, they didn’t expect to befriend one.</p><p>For all that Dimitri had seemed to dislike food and only ate when necessary—something Claude noticed especially during his visits; the guy would hardly touch a thing on his plate, blaming his lack of hunger on a possum or racoon he feasted on earlier, though Claude could always tell through his lies—he still ate quite a bit. Much more than a human would, and certainly more than your average four-legged wolf the duo was more familiar with before their encounter with their new friend. It didn’t help that, as time had gone by, he seemed to only get larger and larger. Upon their first meeting, he was barely taller than Claude. Now? He practically stood a head taller than him! And it had only been a month! And the larger one was, the more food they’d require for energy.</p><p>So here Claude was, searching through the market for more meats and vegetables him and Hilda didn’t have room for in their garden. He had planned to only get enough to last them the month, but he also wanted to take Dimitri into consideration. Surely an extra pound of steak wouldn’t be that expensive, right? Sure, he and Hilda came from money, but the two had long set out to try to make a living for themselves rather than rely on the help of their families. While Hilda joined in on the scheme simply to get away from her over-protective brother, Claude had little choice in the matter. It was just what he was used to for so long.</p><p>Back at home—his <em> actual </em> home, well beyond the mountains to the north, though it didn’t feel like home at all at times—his parents were rather insistent that Claude learned to survive on his own. So living out near the wilderness, growing food for trade or to avoid starvation, and fending off attacks against himself or his property was nothing new.</p><p>But here, on the other side of the mountains, there were still some things he felt he could never get accustomed to.</p><p>Claude, with a basket of almost ten pounds of veggies in one hand and an empty basket for meat in the other, walked up to the butcher’s stand with an easy smile on his face.</p><p>“Afternoon Gerard!” he chirped. The man in question narrowed his eyes at him.</p><p>“Back again so soon?” he asked. “It’s barely been three weeks.”</p><p>“Yeah, but recently we’ve had a buddy staying with us and he eats quite well.” Claude gave a nonchalant wink. “So I’m gonna need a little more meat than usual this time around. Just enough to last us a month and then some for our pal. I’ll probably come again in another week with a cart for more. This is just something last minute.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? Where is this ‘friend’ of yours from?”</p><p>“Just a little beyond the woods down the hill,” he replied. “Small village. Not even near the trail either.”</p><p>“Off the trail, eh? Little odd, dontcha think?” the butcher asked. “Whatever. Long as they ain’t behind this mess with my sheep.”</p><p>Claude turned his attention to Gerard’s wares, his brows quirking in interest. “Sheep? What about them?”</p><p>Gerard shrugged. “Couple of ‘em go missing almost every other night. Had to get a second hound to fend whatever the fuck’s takin’ ‘em. Ulys—poor gal, so old now, don’t know if I can keep her out there—she tried her best, but something left a real nasty bite on her left leg. No clue what it was. Looked like a wolf’s.”</p><p>Claude’s body went rigid for a second, his muscles tensing as he thought immediately of Dimitri. But he wouldn’t, would he? The guy hated humans. Well, besides his friends Dedue and Mercedes, and of course him and Hilda—at least he assumed so. So what reason would he have for attacking a sheep flock? Especially one so obviously kept by humans?</p><p>But, as always, Claude simply shrugged off the news. When in doubt, go aloof.</p><p>“Yeah, wouldn’t know nothin’ about that. Sorry.”</p><p>Gerard scoffed. “Sure... Anyway, how much ya need?”</p><p>“Let’s say... Ten, no, fifteen pounds.”</p><p>“Anything specific?”</p><p>“Well, you’re a bit short on lamb, right? Beef and pork is fine then.”</p><p>Gerard gave a curt nod before turning to pack the meat for Claude. When he was done, he plopped his handiwork down on the counter, and Claude mimicked the gesture with his bag of silver. Gerard immediately snatched it once it was within his reach, tucking it away into a box where he’d keep his profits.</p><p>“Pleasure doin’ business with ya!” Claude chirped, tucking the meat away into the basket. Fifteen pounds was a lot, much more than Claude typically carried, but he knew he’d just have to manage for the day. It wasn’t that long of a walk from Gerard’s shop back to the cabin. Hence why he picked out the vegetables first, as Mary’s wares were much farther down.</p><p>However, as Claude turned to walk away and make the journey back, he could hear Gerard mutter beneath his breath, “Fuckin’ Almyran...” before returning to his usual business.</p><p>Claude wished he could say it hurt to hear that. Well, it did. Like a lot. To know it was so obvious where he came from to these people, how clear it was that no matter what he tried he’d forever be an outsider to them, made it harder to swallow.</p><p>But this was his life now. All he could do was give a smile and a nod, at least for now.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Claude makes it back to the cabin, barely able to carry his own body weight </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> balance the groceries in his arms, he sees Hilda tending to the carrots in their garden. First thing’s first: relieve himself of this extra weight. Passing by his roommate, Claude heads first into the kitchen and plops the baskets on the counter. Only then does he return outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are the carrots doing?” he asks as soon as he steps out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda stops whatever she’s doing for a minute to turn to him, a scowl on her face. “They’re growing fine. Just wish this wasn’t so much work,” she whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you rather have carried all that food back by yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya know what? Nevermind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude gave a smirk. “That’s what I thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them head back inside to pack everything away: meat in the freezer, cabbage and celery in the fridge, and onions, potatoes, and the like in their pantry. As the two of them organize everything, Hilda turns to Claude again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did the market go?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude gave a shrug. “Same as usual. Went to Mary for some veggies, bumped into Marianne on the way to Gerard, and got the meat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda glared at him. “That’s all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” he replied, his lips popping the ‘p’ dramatically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hilda.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl slammed her fist on the counter. “Claude, I’m being serious. Did he say something again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t he always? Besides, he’s not the first person in this village.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda let out a groan. “This is so stupid. Why does it even matter to them? There’s, like, no reason to be so rude about it either. What even popped him off this time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something about his sheep disappearing and his dog getting bit. Thinks I’ve got something to do with it,” he explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course...” Hilda let out a sigh. “Don’t take his silly conspiracies seriously, Claude. He’s cranky and old, probably a little senile too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but he’s sure it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>a wolf</span>
  </em>
  <span> that did it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda goes quiet at that. Her body freezing, eyes staring at Claude with worry. A beat goes by, and she scoffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What he does has nothing to do with you, Claude. If he chooses to do something it’s not your fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But if it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> him-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But nothing. He’s not the only wolf in the area, Claude. Plenty of packs exist in those woods, and they surround the whole village and Gerard’s farm. I doubt he’d do something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude lets out a chuckle. At this point, he’s not sure who’s putting more faith in Dimitri here: him or Hilda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A knock at the door disrupts their conversation, and Hilda goes immediately to open it. Her eyes widen in surprise at who’s standing on the other side, but feigns a smile anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dimitri! What a surprise!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude feels his blood run cold. His head turns towards the doorway, and, sure enough, he sees that familiar mop of golden hair there at the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello to you too, Hilda. May I come inside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My, so polite. Your attitude sure is improving,” she giggles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri appears sheepish at her comment. “Ah. I was not aware my attitude was so...foul before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude snickers. “That’s one way to put it. But she’s just messin’ with ya, Dimitri. Don’t take what she says at face value.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, Dimitri’s gaze turns to Claude, and the other isn’t sure how to react. What with the news about Gerard’s sheep, and just how he’s seen Dimitri in the wild, it makes him second guess himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But when that single orb of blue softens upon staring into his own, those pink lips pull into the gentlest of smiles, and he feels something flutter in his chest, Claude finds himself pushing the rumors to the back of his mind. He had his doubts anyhow. Dimitri was too cautious to interact with other humans. He doubted his newfound relationship with him and Hilda would change that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, of course, he replies, “You’re welcomed to come in any time, Dima. In fact, Hilda was just about to prepare a meal for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda immediately spins to face Claude. “Huh? Why me? He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> buddy, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> should be cooking for him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hilda Valentine Goneril! How rude. Dimitri’s just as much your friend as he is mine,” Claude said, faking a gasp at his roommate’s remark. “And, uh, actually, I cooked yesterday. Meaning it’s your turn anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda groans. “Fine. But don’t blame me if it tastes bad! I’m exhausted from working in that carrot field all day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude only rolls his eyes as the pink-haired beauty moves towards the kitchen to start prepping, leaving him and the wolf alone. Or, well, as alone as they could get with the kitchen only a few steps away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri walks across the threshold into the cabin, immediately feeling at home within these walls he’s known for only a short time. It still feels strange, and yet also terrifying. Still, Claude’s easy smile makes it hard to resist the way his body relaxes as he’s led towards the dining table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t take long for Hilda to finish, and she presents steaming plates of beef kebabs to the three of them—Claude has always tried to correct her on it, but she insists that’s how it’s said, and he just no longer saw the point; it was still the same meal. Claude immediately digs into the meal, as does Hilda, but Dimitri is noticeably hesitant to chow down. From across the table, Claude notices him pick up the skewer, examining it first and twirling it in his hands before lightly nibbling on the meat. It wasn’t like this was their first time eating this, so he wondered if something was on the wolf’s mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The meal is eventually finished, and Claude is the first to pop the question, “Something goin’ on there Dima?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri, surprised by the question, doesn’t immediately answer. He first takes a deep breath, exhaling, and then starts fiddling with his thumbs as he lowers his gaze: an obvious sign of nerves. Whatever he had to say, Claude was sure it was important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve actually been thinking for some time...of your offers, that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda, intrigued, leans closer on the table. “Oh? Is that so?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimiri nods. “Yes. I...” He finally lifts his gaze, his eyes meeting Claude’s again. “I wish to accept. I-If you do not mind that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda and Claude both jolt back in surprise, the two of them exchanging glances before looking back at the nervous wolf sitting at their table. Claude recalls the brief conversation before Dimitri arrived, and he wonders if it’s truly a good idea to still keep Dimitri around. But not for the villagers’ sake. For his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If Gerard were to find out he’s living with us, he’ll…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude shook away the thought. No. He shouldn’t think of the worst. Him and Hilda lived on the farther reaches of the village. In fact, they were on the exact opposite side from Gerard and his farm. Unless they purposefully showed Dimitri off, the man would be none the wiser. Dimitri would be safe from harm from other humans, and the three of them would still be happy together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Offering his typical smile, Claude chirps, “Well, if that’s what you truly want. I don’t see any reason to not let you stay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda looks back at him in almost equal shock, her face practically screaming for him to reconsider. She, too, recognizes the possible consequences from this. But Claude throws back a gaze of his own. There’s a glint in his eyes as he briefly looks at her, and she understands almost immediately. It clearly pains her from the way her face twists in annoyance. She knows just as much as he does how much shit they could get into for this. But Claude was already past the point of no return: he was cooking up yet another scheme, and nothing would stop him from carrying it out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Hilda wears a similar face of innocent happiness as she says with semi-feigned glee in her tone, “We’re so happy to have you, Dimitri! It’s gonna take some getting used to, living with us. You’re gonna have to here a lot more bickering than what you’re used to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri lets out a soft snicker. “I have no doubt. Though, I don’t quite mind. It feels...familiar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Familiar?” Claude asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri gives him a nod. “Yes. My old pack... The four of us were very similar to the two of you.” There’s a sadness in his voice as he says this. An obviously painful memory. One he quickly shakes off with a sigh. “But that is in the past now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure about this, Dimitri?” Hilda asks. “I mean... Aren’t you ever gonna miss the forest?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Hilda. The woods are right there. It’s not like he’s never going back in there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agreed,” Dimitri adds. “The forest will always be there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, what about...ya know, Edelgard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri is more hesitant in his answer. He visibly winces at the mention of her name, but before he could say a thing Claude stands up from his seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s late. Sun’s already setting,” he says, and he was right. The darkness of the night was slowly creeping upon them from over the edge of the woods beyond the hill, consuming the light of the walls around them. “Dimitri’s probably tired. We can address that in the morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them move away from the table, Claude handling the dishes while Hilda helped Dimitri prepare as best they could to accommodate him in their home. There were a few things they’d have to get soon, especially since the move was on such short notice, but for the moment it was agreed that they’d give as many quilts to the wolf as they could so he was comfortable in Claude’s room. At first, Hilda insisted he and Claude share the bed—after all, it was rude to let a new roommate sleep on the hard, cold floor—but the hue of red dusting Dimitri’s cheeks from ear-to-ear was enough to convince her that wasn’t such a good idea either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the end, the three of them finished settling in for the night, and waited patiently for the day to come.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So for those of you who don't follow me on Twitter, I decided to use my art account for strictly fandom stuff. So if you guys wanna follow me for art, commissions, or fic updates you can check me out at <a href="https://twitter.com/big_trash_boi">big_trash_boi</a></p><p>The other account just got messy and I honestly might just delete it at this point. If any of you have witnessed what it became and were bothered by it, I apologize and I sincerely want to keep that kind of stuff away from the fandom content I make as my views can be a little extreme for some people. I understand it can make others uncomfortable, especially those who don't want to be involved with politics a lot for personal reasons unlike me, so I'm keeping it a separate thing. I'll also be adding this message to any other social media promos I've made previously. For those that haven't seen it, I promise it's nothing bad. I just happen to hold a policy of keeping most of my views out of my stuff since it's not relevant a lot of the time and can create bad vibes.</p><p>Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, enough serious talk, let's keep it going with the dimiclaude goods because my love for the fandom has just been revived somehow (probably by the sheer willpower of just how bad I simp for these two-)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Intruder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dimitri has trouble sleeping, and to make matters worse, someone from his past comes along to cause trouble.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite the stillness in the air, Dimitri found it impossible to sleep.</p><p>It wasn’t the sudden quiet he found himself in as he laid on the wooden floor, covered in layers of blankets to make him comfortable in the makeshift cot—he couldn’t understand Hilda’s insistence on it, he had spent years sleeping on rocks and dirt that were much harder than these planks—nor was it even the unfamiliarity of the room. He was used to moving from place to place, never allowing himself to be comfortable enough in one spot to be affected by even the newest of environments. The ghosts that once haunted him each night weren’t even there to disturb his slumber, whispering in his ears to seek out their vengeance. They weren’t even in any of the corners of the room where they would usually stand in silence as they watched him sleep. He knew that for certain, for he constantly checked to see if they would ever appear, and that, perhaps, was the strangest part of it all. So just what was it that was keeping him awake?</p><p>With nothing else to do, and sleep clearly evading him, the wolf found himself attempting to find some way to distract his mind. Perhaps, if he did something, he would be able to tire himself out and fall unconscious long enough to get what would pass as a good night’s rest.</p><p>He thought of going out to roam through the forest, but he worried that Hilda and Claude would panic if they woke in the middle of the night to find him gone. So that was off the table. Perhaps going through Claude’s collection of knick knacks and books would entertain him? Then again, he didn’t want to accidentally break anything, especially since most of the things lining his shelves appeared to be <em> insanely </em> fragile. Not to mention he still didn’t have a good enough grasp on really any written language to be able to understand what the books would say. Dedue and Mercedes tried teaching him, but it was much more difficult than he imagined. He could barely read what were considered children’s books. No doubt Claude’s treasury of literature was much more complex. How was one even supposed to pronounce words like “philosophy” or “architecture”?</p><p>As he laid there in a miserable pile of his own thoughts, Dimitri let out a sigh. His gaze then fell upon the human himself, his figure expanding and deflating in the shadows as he rested peacefully. Claude was facing his way, allowing Dimitri the opportunity to instead study his features rather than his books.</p><p>The wolf briefly recalled when he first found himself staring at the human back in that cavern after saving him from that bear. His hand gingerly, he reached up to touch his right eye, feeling the scar tissue that settled there. He remembered believing Claude to be beautiful, especially compared to him, and he could only feel that to still be the truth.</p><p>A faint blush dusts his cheeks as he gets up from the floor to scoot closer to the ethereal being, his eye never leaving Claude’s sleeping figure. He reached out to touch him, his body trembling with anxiety—what if he disturbed him? What if he woke up and saw the way Dimitri was looking at him? Would he be disgusted? Afraid?—when a sudden noise from the window caught his attention.</p><p>Dimitri’s head whipped around in an instant, and his gaze was glued to the glass pane from where the moon’s shine glowed into the room. Hesitantly, he moved away from Claude’s form to approach the window. He crouched down onto all fours so as to not alert the intruder before leaning closer to peek through the window.</p><p>At first, he saw nothing other than the line of trees that led into the woods and the dark sky above. However, his ears and nose were able to detect that there was, in fact, someone else on the grounds. With a low growl in his throat Dimitri left Claude’s bedroom towards the front door of the cabin. The scent was coming from by where the garden would be. When he made it into the living room, Dimitri noticed the scent growing stronger.</p><p>It was familiar, yet it was stuck on the tip of his tongue just whom it belonged to.</p><p>Dimitri waited for the scent to move, his ears remaining keen and alert for any sudden movement. When he saw a shadow jump from the kitchen window towards Hilda’s room, he made his move.</p><p>Dimitri bursted through the door and made his way around the front porch, allowing his primal instincts to take over in an effort to protect his new companions. If the element of surprise failed him, he would still be able to use his raw strength to take down whatever was stalking them. From what he saw through the window, whatever this thing was, it couldn’t be any larger than him. So, hopefully, there would be no bears to take down this time.</p><p>The wolf tackled the figure as soon as it came within his line of sight, a startled yelp echoing through the field as he pinned the stranger to the dirt by their throat.</p><p>They, of course, fought back against him: scratching, kicking, and even biting his limbs, all failed attempts to ease up the pressure around their neck. But Dimitri wasn’t anywhere close to reeling back just yet.</p><p>At least, not until he heard a painfully familiar voice screaming at him.</p><p>“Get the fuck off me, dickhead!”</p><p>Dimitri, wide-eyed, pushed his instincts away to take a closer look. He couldn’t just be imagining this, could he? No, this was impossible. There was no way they were able to find him.</p><p>“Felix?” he muttered.</p><p>The honey-eyed wolf growled, “Yes, it’s me, fuckin’ idiot...”</p><p>“But... How did you…?”</p><p>Using Dimitri’s confusion to his advantage, Felix shoved the taller wolf off him. Dimitri fell back with a small ‘thud’ as his body hit the ground, but the two of them were back on their feet soon enough.</p><p>“We were passing by this village on our search for you when Ingrid picked up your scent. We weren’t sure where it was coming from, since you’re the only one with a nose strong enough to pick up a direct trail, so we split up to find out,” he explained, dusting himself off. “Your scent got stronger when I started climbing the hill, so I figured you had to have at least passed by this house. I tried looking around to see if you were anywhere inside.”</p><p>“But why?”</p><p>“Why what?”</p><p>“Why... Why were you still looking for me?” Dimitri nearly hissed. He didn’t know how to feel about this. It was too much all at once. “Why are you here? Why are you wasting your time like this?”</p><p>Felix scoffed. “Believe me, if it were up to me I would’ve ditched the subject the moment you ran out on us. But everyone else was insistent that we look for you. Including my father.”</p><p>“Rodrigue…”</p><p>“Yes. He’s been bothering us about it for months.” By that, he meant Rodrigue wouldn’t stop expressing concern, and it annoyed Felix to no end. Dimitri knew this to be certain. “So hurry up and grab whatever you’ve got on hand. I just want this old man to shut up already.”</p><p>Dimitri shook his head. “No. I’m not going back.”</p><p>Felix narrowed his eyes. “And why the fuck not?”</p><p>“I’ve found...company, I suppose you can say. And my quest still isn’t complete. That woman still has not paid for her crimes.”</p><p>“Oh, for fuck’s sake, you’re still on about that? How do we even know it was her to begin with? Quit it with your delusions! We’re going home!”</p><p>“I am home,” Dimitri growled, baring his fangs at the other. “And I will not stop until I have that woman’s head between my jaws.”</p><p>“Dimitri, for the love of everything, would you just fucking listen for once in your life and-!”</p><p>“Hey, what’s going on out here?”</p><p>Claude and Hilda, both dressed in their pajamas, came from around the corner to see Dimitri and Felix in the midst of their stand-off. Confusion was written over their faces as they stared at the unfamiliar wolf in their garden.</p><p>“Dima, who’s this?” Claude asked.</p><p>“‘Dima’? Dimitri, do you know these humans?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah, he does,” Hilda replied. “Who the heck are you? And how do <em> you </em> know Dimitri?”</p><p>“Hilda, please-”</p><p>“Forget it,” Felix hissed. “Can’t believe after all this bullshit you put us through, you start living with humans. No, even worse, you’re choosing <em> them </em> over your own <em> friends </em>. How pathetic...”</p><p>“Wait, no, Felix, just let me explain.”</p><p>“There’s nothing to explain, dipshit! Don’t bother coming back to the caves if this is what you really want. We don’t need any more problems.”</p><p>Before Dimitri could make any objections, Felix dashed off into the night, his figure growing smaller and smaller in the distance as he made a run for the woods. Dimitri made a dash to chase after him, but a hand on his shoulder made him pause. He turned to see Claude with a look in his eyes, and he knew it was best to simply let it go.</p><p>The three of them returned to the inside of the cabin in silence, Hilda immediately returning to her room to finish getting her beauty sleep. Dimitri and Claude also returned to their room, though neither one were really ready to go back to sleep. The moment they stepped into the room, Dimitri saw Claude staring intensely at him, and he knew he had questions.</p><p>With a heavy sigh he said, “Go on then. I’m sure you’re curious.”</p><p>“I am,” the other replied. “But if it’s something you’re not ready to share I also understand if you don’t want to talk about it. You looked about ready to rip my head off when I tried back in the forest.”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter now.”</p><p>“What doesn’t matter?”</p><p>“Felix. Our history. If you truly want to know-”</p><p>“How about this instead: first thing in the morning, after breakfast, we can come back in here and talk about this. That is, if you’re still up for it. If not, we can act like this whole thing never happened. Sound fair?”</p><p>Dimitri stood quietly, considering his options carefully. The proposition wasn’t awful, and it was a welcomed surprise to see Claude giving Dimitri his space—perhaps because, now that he was living with him, he still had many opportunities to pull information from the wolf—but Dimitri was still unsure.</p><p>“Maybe,” he responded, his voice soft like a whisper. He was suddenly tired. Maybe waiting for the morning was a better option after all.</p><p>“It’s settled then.”</p><p>“Will you go back to sleep?”</p><p>Claude sighed. “Unfortunately, all that ruckus you two caused is gonna make it hard. But I don’t mind. I was in the middle of a really weird dream before I woke up. Not really ready to go back to that just yet.”</p><p>The human gave a playful wink to the wolf, who looked away sheepishly. Dimitri suddenly felt bad now. He had disturbed Claude’s sleep, something he’d been avoiding the entire night. Then again, this wasn’t exactly the first fight he had been in with Felix, and they tend to get rather...loud during their disputes. Felix would sometimes get so upset he’d accidentally turn the argument into a shouting contest, and like the childish pup he once was Dimitri would fall into it as well. He might just still be that pup if this night was anything to go off of.</p><p>“I apologize,” Dimitri muttered. “I didn’t know we were yelling so loudly.”</p><p>“It’s fine. Hey, wanna stay up and read a bit? I noticed you staring at my collection earlier.”</p><p>Now, Dimitri was ashamed for a whole different reason.</p><p>“I um…” Should he tell him? Claude’s shown to be at least somewhat understanding so far. Surely he wouldn’t mock the wolf for something he could hardly help. “I... I can’t exactly understand most of the words in your books.”</p><p>Claude’s eyes grew wide. “Wait, really? But you talk so eloquently sometimes. Like, it’s really ridiculous.”</p><p>“I can understand and speak human language, but reading is a whole other issue for me,” he explained. “Dedue has tried helping me, but I could never understand anything more complex than <em> Charlotte’s Web </em> or <em> Stuart Little </em>. Even those books tend to be...difficult.”</p><p>“Ah, I see. Well, we’ll just have to work on that.”</p><p>Dimitri looked at Claude in surprise. “Excuse me?”</p><p>“You want to get better at reading, right?” Claude received a nod from the wolf. “Then we’ll start small. I don’t really have anything like those books around here. I’m more interested in history, language...you know, the boring adult stuff, but I’m sure I can head over to the bookstore across the river really quick and get some children’s books to get you more comfortable with reading.”</p><p>“You’d...really do that for me?”</p><p>Claude smiled, one of the rare ones that would reach his eyes and made them glow like emeralds. “Of course! What are friends for?”</p><p>
  <em> Friends… </em>
</p><p>“I suppose… Yes, I would like that very much. Thank you Claude,” he replied, trying not to sound dejected. Why did he feel like his heart was sinking? He didn’t like these strange, new feelings. Especially not this one that made him feel even worse than the fact he woke Claude up.</p><p>“No problem, Dima! Well, since reading is off the table, why don’t we get a head start on going to the bookstore?”</p><p>“You want me to come with you?” the wolf asked.</p><p>“Sure. Just uh...gotta hide the ears, though. That’s gonna set some people off. Especially with the recent issues farmers have been dealing with. But we can save that for later.”</p><p>Dimitri reached up to touch the fluffy organs atop his head. Yes, they would have to be hidden if they wanted to avoid any panic. And though he didn’t know what Claude was exactly talking about, he understood that humans can be dangerous in large groups, and he had no doubt they would be around quite a few of them during their journey.</p><p>“Don’t worry! I’ve still got my hood that Hilda gave me,” Claude said. “I’ll let you borrow it.”</p><p>“The red one?” Dimitri asked. “You wore that when we first met.”</p><p>“Yeah. It’s kinda the only thing big enough to fit you, actually. Don’t know if you’ve exactly noticed it, bud, but you’re <em> much </em> larger than me.”</p><p>The wolf took a moment to examine Claude, and he let out a snicker upon his realization. “Indeed. You are rather small compared to me.” Not that he really minded. The size difference was rather cute.</p><p>And Claude certainly wasn’t helping his case with the way he pouted in response. “Oi. Don’t let it get to your head.”</p><p>Another chuckle escaped Dimitri’s lips. “I’ll be sure not to.”</p><p>“Anyway, let’s head out before the roads start getting busy. The sun’s gonna rise soon, so it should be open by the time we get there. Then when we get back we can eat and talk some more.”</p><p>Dimitri watched as Claude jogged out of the room, likely to go find the red hood, and felt a smile crawl onto his face. That same, disturbing feeling he had all those weeks ago as he watched Claude resting by the fire came back in full force, yet it no longer felt strange to him. In fact, he rather enjoyed the warmth in his chest this time. It felt better than what he was feeling before. </p><p>Having seen Felix after all this time disturbed him to say the least, and he still didn’t quite understand why the others were still searching for him. They should’ve considered him a traitor. He abandoned them, left them to defend themselves as he continued his hunt for Edelgard, so why? And the hurt in Felix’s voice… How could they still want him to return? He was nothing more than a beast, a creature only out for blood. Who would want something like that around them?</p><p>Dimitri didn’t know if he wanted to go back to the caverns. Maybe, after his quest was complete, and he avenged his loved ones, he would go back. But for now, he would enjoy this warmth, this new home, and, most of all, Claude’s company. Even if he didn’t quite understand what these feelings meant—least of all why he felt sad at the prospect of being referred to as Claude’s friend; he didn’t have many any more, so shouldn’t that make him happy?—he would cherish them nonetheless.</p><p>Maybe then he could see something other than a monster when he looked at his own reflection.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This would've been posted earlier this week since spring breaks gives me enough time to catch up with homework and stuff so I can have the rest of the week to myself before classes start up again, but I've been so distracted by Montero since it dropped that I literally cannot think of anything else,,,,,, If you're really into religious symbolism I 1000% recommend it because it is just such a work of art, and as a queer artist/writer I really love the message, not to mention how massive of a bop it is.</p><p>Anyway, hope ya'll enjoyed the update.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Lost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Claude and Dimitri visit the library where the wolf has an experience. When they return to the cabin, the conversation gets rather messy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The walk to the library was relatively peaceful. Claude had been right about the hood in the end. It was just large enough to cover Dimitri’s ears, though the rest was a bit of a tight fit considering his broad shoulders. He only hoped it wouldn’t tear as a result.</p><p>The library itself was a small, quaint place that smelled of leather and wood. There was an empty fireplace where children sat and read on a lush, shag carpet and lined with red, velvet chairs. It was there that Claude instructed Dimitri to wait while he looked around a bit, and wait there he did. He took a seat on one of the chairs, appreciating the soft material as he awkwardly waited for Claude, his gaze moving to follow the other’s figure whenever he was within sight. When he would disappear behind one of the many rows of bookshelves, Dimitri would glance over at one of the children next to him.</p><p>He had never gotten so close to humans before. At least not in recent years. It was...odd. To see a group he knew was capable of such great destruction actually start out so small was strange to him. So he watched the children play and read to each other, listened to their babbling as they strayed off from the story, all in utter awe.</p><p>“And then the dragon shoots fire at the knight, killing him, and the princess is saved!”</p><p>“Ukira, that’s <em> not </em> how it goes!”</p><p>“Uh, yeah it is.”</p><p>“I’m looking at the book! The dragon dies, dummy!”</p><p>“I’m not a dummy! You’re the dummy!”</p><p>“Am not!”</p><p>“Yeah you are!”</p><p>An exasperated sigh to his right caught Dimitri’s attention. “Kids, huh? Always love to argue.”</p><p>Dimitri turned to face the stranger: an old woman sitting behind an old, dark oak counter, using her arms to lean forward. Her eyes shone behind a pair of thin, silver-rimmed glasses, and she wore a warm grin that wrinkled the corner of her eyes.</p><p>For a moment, the wolf sat in quiet confusion. Was she speaking to him?</p><p>The old woman chuckled. “Not much of a talker, are ya, dear? That’s alright. It’s always nice to see new, friendly faces ‘round here.”</p><p>“My apologies. I wasn’t aware you were speaking to me...”</p><p>“Oh! Such politeness! What a nice young man you are! So eloquent, too.”</p><p>The wolf flushed in embarrassment. “Thank you,” he muttered, discouraging himself from turning away from her to hide his face. He didn’t want to seem rude.</p><p>“Don’t mind those two rascals, dear. They’re Mr. and Mrs. Dunk’s special lil’ boys. Their family owns a farm not too far down the river,” she explained. “They like to come here when home gets too rowdy. Poor boys… Their father- Well, let’s say he’s a bit eh...eccentric.”</p><p>“I have a better word I’d use to describe ol’ Gerard, but I’m afraid there are children present,” came Claude’s voice as he approached the counter, a handful of books under each of his arms. He glanced over at Dimitri. “Wanna come take a look at what I got?”</p><p>“Oh! Claude. I didn’t know you two knew each other,” the old woman said. “I saw you both come in, but… Ah, never mind this old lady’s ramblings. But yes, Mr. Dunk isn’t the friendliest man on either side of the river.”</p><p>“But, unfortunately, he’s the only source of meat around. Next farm over is a good 25 miles. So niceties are kinda our only option here, even if he doesn’t return the gesture too often.”</p><p>Dimitri let out a hum. Whoever this Gerard character is, he knew he would have to be avoided. From the sounds of it no one around seemed to like him. Not even his own children, apparently.</p><p>Dimitri stood up from the seat to take a look at the collection of books Claude picked out. None seemed too unusual, all of them picking at his sense of nostalgia when he first learned to read.</p><p>“Yes, these are fine. Thank you, Claude.”</p><p>Claude gave his signature wink. “No prob, big guy.” He then turned to the old lady. “I’ll be checking these out, Ms. Reynolds.”</p><p>Ms. Reynolds took the books laid out on her counter, eyeing them with piqued interest.</p><p>“Children’s books? Claude, did you and that nice young lady-”</p><p>“No! No, no, no!” Claude stuttered, waving his hands frantically. “We didn’t do that. Uh… Just thought I’d do something nice for a couple of the kids in town, and Dimitri here is gonna help me.”</p><p><em> Why must you drag me into this! </em> The wolf huffed. If Claude was going to come up with a lie it was better for both of their sake to not involve Dimitri. He was well-known for not being able to get away with lying even if his life depended on it.</p><p>“Oh, what nice young men you both are!” Ms. Reynolds took each of the books, writing down their names and other information on a separate slip of paper, before handing them back to Claude and Dimitri. “2 weeks, as usual. Enjoy, boys!”</p><p>“Thanks Ms. Reynolds!” Claude chirped as he grabbed a couple of books. Dimitri followed, taking a few into his hands as well before giving a nod in thanks to the kind, old woman.</p><p>Just like that, the two were off on the road again back towards the cabin, the image of the small, friendly library glued in the back of Dimitri’s mind the whole way there.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they finally settled back in after their long trip from the library, Hilda, Claude, and Dimitri all enjoyed a special breakfast they made together. And by “made together”, Hilda and Claude did most of the work while Dimitri sat back to observe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri didn’t trust himself enough to learn how to use human utensils yet, but he was still willing to learn. So Hilda and Claude explained all the steps to making the dish: which pots and pans were used for what, which ingredients to use, how to prepare the meal, the whole shabang. When the food was done, Dimitri noted how heavenly it smelled. Though he kept his curiosity of its taste to himself lest he received more pitiful looks. He felt like a pup in comparison to his housemates, not knowing how to live like they did or knowing what they knew about humans and human-related things. Life seemed so much more complex than back in the forest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he was at least glad to know they were willing to help him learn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once breakfast was over and dishes were cleaned—something Dimitri also observed—the three of them sat down in the kitchen once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Claude said, “you ready to talk, big guy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t gotta if you don’t wanna,” Hilda pointed out. “Don’t let Claude here try to pressure you into anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri shook his head as Claude threw Hilda an offended look. “No. Truly, it’s fine,” the wolf replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His housemates exchanged a glance for a moment as Dimitri gathered himself. He took a deep breath, quickly jogging his memory to figure out where to begin. After a bit, he let out a long sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Felix was a part of my old pack. There were many of us. Enough to fill your entire village and then some. My family had been the reigning alphas for generations, and I was trained since I was a pup to follow in their footsteps. Felix and his family were one of the beta groups. They’ve stayed by my family’s side, always supporting us, for as long as the pack has occupied this forest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So...why does it sound like he hated your guts?” Hilda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri couldn’t help but grimace. “As you know, I left the pack a long time ago. There was...an incident, and nearly half the forest was burned to the ground as a result.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Half the forest? Surely we would’ve noticed that by now-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda rolled her eyes. “Depends on when that happened. This village isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> ancient.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt you would have known. The forest extends all the way to the mountains. This place is much too far from there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you lived closer to the mountains then?” Claude asked. “Isn’t it cold as balls there? How did you guys live?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri shrugged. “We’ve grown accustomed to it. At least, I assume so. The cold was never much of an issue for me when I was there as a pup. Not even a drop in the lake during winter would bother us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa. Talk about hardcore...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Anyway</span>
  </em>
  <span>… You were saying about this incident?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, right. Well, our pack was caught off-guard by the flames. Many lost their lives that day, including...” Dimitri shut his eyes, already hearing the voices again. He very rarely spoke of the dead, fearing it would invoke them to haunt him just when they were silent not a moment before. This was one of those times. He could feel their burning gazes on him, but, for the sake of things, he continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My family also perished, as did Felix’s older brother, Glenn. I was thankfully rescued by their father, Rodrigue, who was good friends with my own parents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds...horrible,” Hilda muttered, sadness lacing her tone. Her expression softened as well. “Dimitri...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I witnessed who had done it, but no one believed me. Many blamed the neighboring village not too far east from the caverns, and they attacked the humans living there. It was...a massacre. Just pure horror. I… I saved at least one of them, a human, and that was how I met Dedue.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude let out a soft hum, leaning back in his seat. “So your pack thought it was his village who burned down the forest, so they retaliated. But you knew it wasn’t them and decided to rescue him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri nodded. “Precisely. A year or so after that, I decided to leave them behind to seek out Edelgard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why her?” Hilda asked. “Not like she had anything to do with it...right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude winced in an instant, his gaze falling onto Dimitri, who could only stare back with unrelenting rage. The wolf bared his fangs as a low growl escaped from his throat. Hilda looked back in shock, her eyes bulging wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way! But she was, like, totally a child! How could she have-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I found her amongst them: the men and women cloaked from head to toe in armor, their skin an ashened white like a dove covered in soot, and carrying torches just as they did before the fire. It had to be her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda’s face grew pale. “But… That can’t be… Are you sure it was her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hilda,” Claude muttered in warning. He knew just how touchy the subject of the young woman could be when it came to their new companion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m more than just certain,” the wolf replied. “My pack refused to help me, and so I abandoned them. However, I suppose, with no one else willing to take the place of alpha in the pack, they started looking for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which explains your buddy Felix from last night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to go back?” Hilda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri scoffed. “Not until I find that woman and have her neck in my jaws,” he hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, harsh, but still… Your friends are obviously worried. Well, maybe not that Felix guy, but I’m sure the others are. It’s fine to just finish up what you have to if you’re certain she did it. That way you can just go back, become alpha, and everything goes back to normal!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s uh… A bit of an oversimplification there, Hilda,” Claude said. “Besides, we both heard what that guy said yesterday. I don’t wanna take what he said at face value, but it’s possible they might not welcome Dimitri back. Neither of us know just how strong their hatred for humans are. If he goes back with our scent still on him-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regardless, I have no plans to return to the caverns any time soon,” Dimitri explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So...what </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> you gonna do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To this, Dimitri gave no answer. His gaze fell to the side, his mind uncertain of what to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would like to go back, if only to just say my farewells. But...I don’t believe I’m fit to be their alpha anymore.” Dimitri’s voice was laced with shame. “I’ve become a beast. I’ve lost myself. I’m better off on my own. I’ve already caused both of you so much trouble, and it’s only been a day and a half.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nevermind that bullshit,” Hilda said. “We cause our own trouble here, so don’t worry too much about it. What’s one more weirdo? Hell, we’ll be our own pack!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude let out a chuckle. “Hey, that don’t sound too bad. Dimitri could even be the alpha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wolf lifted his gaze, his eye blown wide as he stared at his housemates. “What? No, I couldn’t, that isn’t how this works-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Screw the rules! Besides, it’s already been decided by majority vote.” Hilda gave a confident smirk, her arms crossed over her chest as she stood up proudly from her seat. “If you can manage us, I’m sure you’ll do just fine ruling over those wolves. Of course, you could always just stay here for the rest of your life too if that’s what you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Either way, you’re stuck with us, big guy. At least for the time being.” Claude gave a wink to the blond, who only looked back bashfully. Dimitri let out a sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no possible hope for me being able to change your minds about this silly charade, is there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not a chance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then...I suppose I wouldn’t mind being the ‘alpha’ of your home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claude held out his hand, lifting a single finger to the sky as he ‘tsk’ed at the wolf. “I think you mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> home, Dima. This place is just as much yours as it is ours, especially if you’re taking charge of our little pack here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For some reason he just could not explain, Dimitri felt himself smiling. He gave a nod as he gazed at his housemates—no, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>pack</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Hilda gave the widest grin she could, and Claude... In this moment, what the sun was to the flowers and the river to the animals and the sky to the birds, was what Claude was to Dimitri. That seemed to be a growing trend as time passed on. Even in the smallest moments, Claude was like a light shining into the darkness Dimitri had been familiar with for so long. Everything he had ever known he was now questioning each time he found himself with the human. Even now he was wondering if he would be a good enough pack leader for them, and the first thing coming to mind was the subtlest hint of a whispered “yes”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri decided then and there, no matter what, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to lose Claude.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Can't guarantee that I'll be updating this next month since finals are coming up, and I've got a ton of papers to work on, so hopefully the next update will be in the early parts of June if not late May (meaning after the 25 since that's when the semester officially ends for me). Also, please excuse me for any misspellings or grammar errors. I'm still adjusting to typing with acrylic nails (mistakes have been made-) so yeah, my fingers feel real sore.</p><p>Anyway, hope ya'll enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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